Gemcitabine, Bevacizumab, and Abdominal Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Localized Pancreatic Cancer

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Bevacizumab may also stop the tumor growth by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Gemcitabine and bevacizumab may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving gemcitabine together with bevacizumab and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving gemcitabine together with bevacizumab and abdominal radiation therapy works in treating patients with localized pancreatic cancer.

Timeline

Start

2005-10-10

Primary completion

2007-12-17

Completion

2010-07-16

Publications

• Results Small W Jr, Mulcahy M, Benson A, et al.: A phase II trial of weekly gemcitabine and bevacizumab in combination with abdominal radiation therapy in patients with localized pancreatic cancer. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 25 (Suppl 18): A-15043, 637s, 2007.
• Rezai P, Yaghmai V, Tochetto SM, Galizia MS, Miller FH, Mulcahy MF, Small W Jr. Change in the growth rate of localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma in response to gemcitabine, bevacizumab, and radiation therapy on MDCT. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011 Oct 1;81(2):452-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2010.05.060. Epub 2011 May 11.

Drugs

Indications