<p>Celiac Plexus Block After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Improves Pain Relief in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer</p>

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Materials and Methods: All patients received a prescription dose of 45 Gy in 6 fractions. Primary end point was freedom from local progression. Secondary end points were overall survival, progression-free survival, and toxicity. Actuarial survival analysis and univariate or multivariate analysis were investigated. Results: Forty-five patients were enrolled in a phase 2 trial. Median follow-up was 13.5 months. Freedom from local progression was 90% at 2 years. On univariate ( P < .03) and multivariate analyses ( P < .001), lesion size was statistically significant for freedom from local progression. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 8 and 13 months, respectively. On multivariate analysis, tumor size ( P < .001) and freedom from local progression ( P < .002) were significantly correlated with overall survival. Thirty-two (71%) patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer received chemotherapy before stereotactic body radiotherapy. Median overall survival from diagnosis was 19 months. Multivariate analysis showed that freedom from local progression ( P < .035), tumor diameter ( P < .002), and computed tomography before stereotactic body radiotherapy ( P < .001) were significantly correlated with overall survival from diagnosis. Conclusion: Stereotactic body radiotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer with no G3 toxicity or greater and could be a promising therapeutic option in multimodality treatment regimen.

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Efficacy of Neurolytic Celiac Plexus Block in Varying Locations of Pancreatic Cancer

Anesthesiology ◽

10.1097/00000542-200002000-00014 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 92 (2) ◽

pp. 347-347 ◽

Cited By ~ 84

Author(s):

Jan J. Rykowski ◽

Maciej Hilgier

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Pain Relief ◽

Celiac Plexus ◽

Celiac Plexus Block ◽

Head Of The Pancreas ◽

Group 2 ◽

Effective Pain Relief ◽

Plexus Block ◽

Group 1

Background Neurolytic celiac plexus block (NCPB) is an effective way of treating severe pain in some patients with pancreatic malignancy. However, there are no studies to date that evaluate the effectiveness of NCPB related to the site of primary pancreas cancer. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of NCPB in pancreatic cancer pain, depending on the location of the pancreatic tumor. Methods The prospective study was conducted in 50 consecutive patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The patients were categorized into two different groups depending on tumor localization: group 1: patients with the cancer of the head of the pancreas and group 2: patients with the cancer of the body and tail of the pancreas. The qualitative and quantitative pain analyses were performed before and after NCPB. The patients underwent prognostic celiac plexus block with bupivacaine, followed by neurolysis during fluoroscopic control within the next 24 h. Results After NCPB, 37 patients (74%) had effective pain relief during the first 3 months or until death. Of the 37 patients who had effective pain relief, 33 (92%) were from group 1 and 4 (29%) were from group 2. In the remaining 13 patients (3 patients from group 1 and 10 patients from group 2), pain relief after NCPB was not satisfactory. Those patients were scheduled for repeated retrocrural neurolysis during computed tomography control. Computed tomography showed massive growth of the tumor around the celiac axis with metastases. After repeated neurolysis, pain relief clinically still was not satisfactory, necessitating additional opioid treatment. Conclusion In this study, unilateral transcrural celiac plexus neurolysis has been shown to provide effective pain relief in 74% of patients with pancreatic cancer pain. Neurolysis was more effective in cases with tumor involving the head of the pancreas. In the cases with advanced tumor proliferation, regardless of the technique used, the analgesic effects of NCPB were not satisfactory.

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