Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy with gemcitabine/cisplatin and surgery versus immediate surgery in resectable pancreatic cancer

Background In nonrandomized trials, neoadjuvant treatment was reported to prolong survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. As neoadjuvant chemoradiation is established for the treatment of rectal cancer we examined the value of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapyin pancreatic cancerin a randomized phase II trial. Radiological staging defining resectability was basic information prior to randomization in contrast to adjuvant therapytrials resting on pathological staging.