Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2009 ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings (Post-Meeting Edition).
Vol 27, No 18S (June 20 Supplement), 2009: LBA4505
© 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology

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Abstract

ESPAC-3(v2): A multicenter, international, open-label, randomized, controlled phase III trial of adjuvant 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (5-FU/FA) versus gemcitabine (GEM) in patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom; Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, Wirral, United Kingdom; University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Agia Olga Hospital, Athens, Greece; Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia

LBA4505

Background: Adjuvant 5-FU/FA (ESPAC-1 trial) and GEM (CONKO-001 trial) provide improved survival for patients with resected pancreatic cancer compared to no chemotherapy. The aim of the ESPAC-3 (v2) trial was to compare 5FU/FA vs GEM to identify if either adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with a significantly better survival. Methods: Patients with an R0/R1 resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were randomized (stratified for resection margin status and country) <8 weeks of surgery to receive either 5FU/FA (FA, 20 mg/m², iv bolus injection followed by 5-FU, 425 mg/m², iv bolus injection given 1–5d every 28 days) or GEM (1,000mg/m² iv infusion 1d, 8d and 15d every 4 weeks) for 6 months. The primary outcome measure was overall survival; the secondary measures were toxicity, progression free survival and quality of life. 1,030 patients were needed to detect a 10% difference in 2-year survival rates with 90% power. Results: 1,088 patients from 16 countries were randomized from July 2000 to Jan 2007 (5FU/FA = 551, GEM = 537). Median (range) age was 63 (31–85) years; 598 (55%) were men. Median tumor size was 30 (20–350) mm; 384 (35%) were R1 resections; 777 (72%) were node positive; and 263 (25%) were poorly differentiated tumors. Final analysis was carried out on an intention to treat basis with a minimum of 2 years follow-up after 753 (69%) patients had died. Median (IQR) follow-up of 335 alive patients was 34.2 (27.1–43.4) months, equal across treatment groups. Median survival from resection of patients treated with 5FU/FA was 23.0 (95% CI: 21.1, 25.0) months and for patients treated with GEM this was 23.6 (95%CI: 21.4, 26.4) months. Log-rank analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in survival estimates between the treatment groups (c²_LR=0.7, p=0.39, HR_GEM=0.94 (95%CI: 0.81, 1.08)). There was no significant difference in the effect of treatment across subgroups according to R status (test of heterogeneity c²₁=0.3, p=0.56). Conclusions: This is the largest adjuvant trial ever conducted for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and showed no significant difference in survival between adjuvant 5FU/FA and adjuvant GEM.

Author Disclosure

Employment or Leadership Consultant or Advisory Role Stock Ownership Honoraria Research Funding Expert Testimony Other Remuneration Pfizer Cytimmune, Oxford Biomedica, Pharmexa

Abstract presentation from the 2009 ASCO Annual Meeting