FOLFIRINOX as Initial Treatment for Localized Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis by the Trans-Atlantic Pancreatic Surgery Consortium

Abstract

Abstract Background Large pragmatic studies of patients who received 5-fluorouracil with leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin ([m]FOLFIRINOX) as initial treatment for localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are lacking. This study aimed to provide realistic estimates of oncologic outcomes in these patients. Methods This international retrospective cohort study included all consecutive patients presenting with localized PDAC who received at least 1 cycle of (m)FOLFIRINOX as initial treatment in 5 referral centers from the United States and the Netherlands (2012-2019). Primary outcome was median overall survival (OS), calculated from the date of tissue diagnosis, assessed using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Log-rank test was used to compare OS between groups. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess prognostic baseline factors for OS. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results Overall, 1835 patients were included, of whom 958 (52.2%) had locally advanced (LA), 531 (28.9%) had borderline resectable (BR), and 346 (18.9%) had potentially resectable (PR) PDAC. The median number of (m)FOLFIRINOX cycles was 6 (interquartile range = 4-8). Subsequent treatment included second chemotherapy (12.9%), radiotherapy (49.0%), and resection (37.9%). The resection rate was 17.6% for LA, 53.1% for BR, and 70.5% for PR PDAC (P < .001). The margin-negative resection rate (>1 mm) was 55.2% for LA, 62.6% for BR, and 79.2% for PR PDAC (P < .001). The median OS was 18.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17.7 to 19.9 months) for LA, 23.2 months (95% CI = 21.0 to 25.7 months) for BR, and 31.2 months (95% CI = 26.2 to 36.6 months) for PR PDAC (P < .001). The median OS for 695 patients who underwent a resection was 38.3 months (95% CI = 36.1 to 42.0 months). Independent prognostic factors at baseline for worse OS were more advanced stage, worse performance status, baseline carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 > 500 U/mL, and body mass index ≤18.5 kg/m2. Conclusions This large international cohort study provides realistic estimates of resection rates and survival in patients with LA, BR, and PR PDAC who started (m)FOLFIRINOX treatment in PDAC referral centers.