The Role of MRI Pancreatic Protocol in Assessing Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy for Patients With Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

BackgroundBorderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer (BRPC) remains a unique entity that is difficult to categorize due to variance in definitions and the small number of patients. The ultimate goal is to achieve a free resection (R0) after a favorable response to neoadjuvant therapy that is somewhat difficult to assess by current radiological parameters.AimTo evaluate the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) pancreatic protocol, including Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI), in patients with BRPC receiving neoadjuvant therapy, and further compare it to RECIST criteria and outcome.MethodsHistologically confirmed BRPC patients were prospectively included. DWI-MRI was performed pre- and post-therapy. Clinical characteristics with ensuing operability were recorded and correlated to radiological RECIST/apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) change, preoperative therapy administrated, surgical resection status, and survival.ResultsOut of 30 BRPC cases, only 11 (36.7%) ultimately underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Attaining a stationary or stable disease via ADC/RECIST was achieved in the majority of cases (60%/53.3% respectively). Of the 12 patients (40%) who achieved a regression by ADC, 11 underwent surgery with an R0 status. These surgical cases showed variable RECIST responses (PR=5, SD=4, PD=3). Responders by ADC to neoadjuvant therapy were significantly associated to presenting with abdominal pain (p =0.07), a decline in post-therapy CA19-9 (p<0.001), going through surgery (p<0.001), and even achieving better survival (p<0.001 vs. 0.66).ConclusionDWI-MRI ADC picked up patients most likely to undergo a successful operative procedure better than traditional RECIST criteria. An algorithm incorporating novel radiological advances with CA19-9 deserves further assessment in future studies.

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Management of Borderline Resectable and Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

10.2310/cgso.16080 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Francis Igor Macedo ◽

Danny Yakoub ◽

Vikas Dudeja ◽

Nipun B. Merchant

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Neoadjuvant Therapy ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Advanced Pancreatic Cancer ◽

The United States ◽

Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Resectable Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Borderline Resectable ◽

Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Number Of Patients

The incidence of pancreatic cancer continues to rise, and it is now the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Only 15 to 20% of patients are eligible to undergo potentially curative resection, as most tumors are deemed unresectable at the time of diagnosis because of either locally advanced disease or distant metastases. Improvements in preoperative CT imaging have enabled better determination of the extent of disease and allowed for better operative planning. Based on their relationship to the surrounding vasculature and structures and presence or absence of distant disease, pancreatic tumors are classified into four categories: resectable, borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC), locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), and metastatic. With the recent advent of more effective chemotherapy regimens, efforts have focused on using neoadjuvant therapy approaches to increase the likelihood of achieving an R0 in patients with BRPC and possibly convert unresectable, locally advanced tumors to potentially resectable tumors. Response with neoadjuvant therapy regimens has resulted in increased number of patients eligible for resection, many times requiring vascular resection. Herein, we describe recent changes in the classification, important surgical and pathologic considerations and updated multimodal therapeutic options in the complex management of BRPC and LAPC. This review contains 5 figures, 2 tables, and 78 references. Key Words: borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, CA 19-9, FOLFIRINOX, locally advanced pancreatic cancer, nab-paclitaxel, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, pancreatectomy, portal vein resection, radiation therapy, gemcitabine

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