量研学術機関リポジトリ「QST-Repository」は、国立研究開発法人 量子科学技術研究開発機構に所属する職員等が生み出した学術成果（学会誌発表論文、学会発表、研究開発報告書、特許等）を集積しインターネット上で広く公開するサービスです。 Welcome to QST-Repository where we accumulates and discloses the academic research results(Journal Publications, Conference presentation, Research and Development Report, Patent, etc.) of the members of National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology.
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The number of deaths from pancreatic cancer in Japan exceeds 26,000 per year, and the number is increasing every year1. Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death and it is considered to be one of the most lethal cancers in Japan. Complete surgical resection is the only curative treatment. However, only a small percentage of patients (10-20%) are candidates for surgical resection because of local progression or metastatic spread at the time of diagnosis2, 3. Even if a curative resection is performed, the disease usually recurs and 5-year survival rates are less than 20% 4, 5.
Chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is selected as a standard treatment for unresectable pancreatic cancer. However, since pancreatic cancer is often resistant to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, the local control rate is very low. Recently, along with the development of new anticancer agents, the irradiation techniques have greatly progressed following the introduction of highly advanced radiotherapy. However, the outcome from therapy is still not satisfactory, with the median survival being approximately 10 months6, 7. We started phase I/II clinical trial for pre-operative carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) with 16 fractions in 4 weeks for resectable pancreatic cancer in 2000 (Figure 1).
The purpose of this treatment was to reduce the risk of postoperative local recurrence, which accounts for approximately 50% of total recurrences. We established the tolerance and effectiveness of preoperative CIRT and performed a clinical trial aimed at shortening the fraction size to 8 fractions in 2 weeks beginning in 2003 (Protocol 0203). In addition, we started phase I/II clinical trial for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer and showed that the treatment was safe and provided excellent local control rates. Accordingly, we are currently performing a clinical trial of using carbon ion radiotherapy combined with gemcitabine (Protocol 0513).
Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
