Management and Outcomes of Pancreatic Cancer in French Real-World Clinical Practice

Abstract

Background: Our objective was to describe real-world patterns of care and outcomes in pancreatic cancer. Methods: 912 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer from 2014 to 2017 were registered by the population-based cancer registry of Burgundy (France). Progression-free and net survival were estimated. Results: at diagnosis, 52% of tumors were associated with metastases. Among the 20% of patients fulfilling resectability criteria, half of those aged 75–84 years and none of those ≥85 years actually underwent resection. Age was not associated with 3-year observed survival in patients who underwent resection. Overall, 77% of patients aged <75 years, 55% of those aged 75–84 years and 8% of those ≥85 years received chemotherapy. Among patients who were offered chemotherapy, 73% of those aged ≥85 years refused. Chemotherapy toxicity was higher with Gemcitabine_Oxaliplatin/Gemcitabine_Abraxane and FOLFIRINOX than with Gemcitabine alone. Patients resected after induction FOLFIRINOX and those treated with adjuvant Gemcitabine presented the lowest risk of progression. Three-year net survival was 35% in patients with non-metastatic resectable tumors and under 10% for other patients. Conclusions: Only half of patients aged 75–84 years with a resectable tumor actually underwent resection. Two thirds of patients aged ≥85 years refused chemotherapy, thus underlining the need to expand geriatric assessments.

Keywords

• pancreatic cancer
• primary care
• epidemiology
• cancer registries
• chemotherapy