RESPONSE OF ADENOSQUAMOUS CARCINOMA OF THE PANCREAS TO INTERFERON-ALPHA, TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA AND 5-FLUOROURACIL COMBINED TREATMENT

A 48-year-old woman with a nonresectable pancreatic tumor received com bination chemotherapy with cytokines (IFN-a plus TNF-a) and 5-FU. Sinc e partial response was confirmed after seven months, she underwent re- exploration, and received a pancreatico-duodenectomy. Histologically, the tumor was an adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas. She recovere d uneventfully. However, the tumor rapidly recurred, and she died five months after surgery. Despite the poor result, the survival of the pa tient with advanced pancreatic cancer for twelve months after the star ting of the treatment suggests that combined chemotherapy with cytokin es and 5-FU may be a therapeutic modality for advanced pancreatic canc er.