Adjuvant Palliative Capecitabine and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Biliary Tract Cancer

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine and gemcitabine, use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Palliative chemotherapy may improve the quality of life in patients who have locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer and may help them live more comfortably. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of adjuvant capecitabine and gemcitabine in improving quality of life in patients who have locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer.

Timeline

Start

2003-04

Primary completion

2006-06

Completion

2009-01

Publications

• Results Bernhard J, Dietrich D, Scheithauer W, Gerber D, Bodoky G, Ruhstaller T, Glimelius B, Bajetta E, Schuller J, Saletti P, Bauer J, Figer A, Pestalozzi BC, Kohne CH, Mingrone W, Stemmer SM, Tamas K, Kornek GV, Koeberle D, Herrmann R; Central European Cooperative Oncology Group. Clinical benefit and quality of life in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer receiving gemcitabine plus capecitabine versus gemcitabine alone: a randomized multicenter phase III clinical trial--SAKK 44/00-CECOG/PAN.1.3.001. J Clin Oncol. 2008 Aug 1;26(22):3695-701. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.15.6240.
• Results Koeberle D, Saletti P, Borner M, Gerber D, Dietrich D, Caspar CB, Mingrone W, Beretta K, Strasser F, Ruhstaller T, Mora O, Herrmann R; Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research. Patient-reported outcomes of patients with advanced biliary tract cancers receiving gemcitabine plus capecitabine: a multicenter, phase II trial of the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research. J Clin Oncol. 2008 Aug 1;26(22):3702-8. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.16.5704.

Drugs

Indications