Neoadjuvant modified FOLFIRINOX followed by postoperative gemcitabine in borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a Phase 2 study for clinical and biomarker analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) have poor prognosis with upfront surgery. Methods This was a single-arm Phase 2 trial for clinical and biomarker analysis. The primary endpoint is 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate. Patients received 8 cycles of neoadjuvant modified (m) FOLFIRINOX. Up to 6 cycles of gemcitabine were given for patients who underwent surgery. Plasma immune cell subsets were measured for analysing correlations with overall survival (OS). Results Between May 2016 and March 2018, 44 chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-naïve patients with BRPC were included. With neoadjuvant mFOLFIRINOX, the objective response rate was 34.1%, and curative-intent surgery was done in 27 (61.4%) patients. With a median follow-up duration of 20.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 19.7–21.6 months), the median PFS and OS were 12.2 months (95% CI, 8.9–15.5 months) and 24.7 months (95% CI, 12.6–36.9), respectively. The 1-year PFS rate was 52.3% (95% CI, 37.6–67.0%). Higher CD14+ monocyte (quartile 4 vs 1–3) and lower CD69+ γδ T cell (γδ TCR+/CD69+) levels (quartiles 1–3 vs 4) were significantly associated with poor OS (p = 0.045 and p = 0.043, respectively). Conclusions Neoadjuvant mFOLFIRINOX followed by postoperative gemcitabine were feasible and effective in BRPC patients. Monocyte and γδ T cells may have prognostic implications for patients with pancreatic cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02749136.