Intraoperative radiotherapy combined with hyperthermia or hypoxic cell sensitizer (RK 28) for pancreatic carcinoma

Of 92 pancreatic carcinomas treated with intraoperative radiation therapy (20∼35 Gy) and chemotherapy, 14 cases were combined with hyperthermia and 22 with hypoxic cell sensitizer (RK28). Pain relief for RK28 treatment patients, and tumor regression of hyperthermia group was better than those of the control. One year and two-year survival rates were 14.3% and 1.8% (median, 4.0 months), respectively, in the control group, 21.4% and 7.1% (median, 6.5 months) in hyperthermia group, and 21.2% and 10.6% (median, 6.0 months) in RK28 group. Twenty six patients underwent postoperative irradiation (30∼40 Gy) and their survival was a little better than the others. The survival of hyperthermia group and RK28 group was marginally better than that of the control, even if it was corrected by the addition of postoperative irradiation. (author)