TAXOL AND PLATINUM CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF PANCREATIC AND JEJUNAL CARCINOMA

Pancreatic cancer and jejunal cancer are aggressive diseases with grim prognoses. The long term survival of pancreatic carcinoma is still on e of the worst of ail cancers. Ninety-five percent of the patients die of their disease within 5 years [Wagener et al: Ann Oncol 5(Suppl 3): S87-S90, 1994]. Eighty-five percent of patients with jejunal carcinom a die of their disease within 5 years [Lioe, Biggart: J Clin Pathol 43 :533-536, 1990]. To date, there are disappointingly few effective cyto toxic agents in the treatment of these cancers. We present a case of a dvanced-stage pancreatic carcinoma and a case of advanced stage jejuna l carcinoma, each showing marked response to Taxol and platinum chemot herapy. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.