[Clinical evaluation of neocarzinostatin in digestive system cancer. 2. Clinical studies on the administration of neocarzinostatin in advanced and recurrent carcinoma of the pancreas].

The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of chemotherapy by NCS for advanced and/or recurrent carcinoma of the pancreas, mainly nonresectable cases in which exploratory laparotomy or construction of biliary fistula were performed. Three hundred fifty seven cases were available for the study. Of the 357 cases, 116 were treated with NCS alone 5-FU. In the former, the efficacy rate was higher in cases with 2,000 mu/body of NCS every day than in those with 4,000 mu/body of NCS intermittently 2-3 times for a week. 19.6% of the cases treated with more than 40,000 mu of NCS alone in total were interpreted as effective clinically by Karnofsky's criteria of I-A over. In the latter, the efficacy rate was higher in cases with 2,000 mu/body of NCS combined with 250 mg of 5-FU every day than in those with 4,000 mu of NCS combined with 500 mg of 5-FU intermittently, 22.5% of the cases given more than 40,000 mu of NCS in total were interpreted as effective clinically by Karnofsky's criteria of I-A over. The major adverse effects of NCS such as anorexia, vomiting and nausea were observed in 20% of total cases respectively, leucopenia in 10% and fever in 15% of them.