Adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment patterns among resectable pancreatic cancer patients in the USA

Aim: Chemotherapy is standard before and/or after pancreatic cancer resection, yet benefits of pre-resection chemotherapy are unclear. Real-world pre- and post-resection treatment patterns were evaluated retrospectively. Methods: Neoadjuvant (3-months pre-surgery) and adjuvant (6-months post-surgery) treatment claims from 01/01/2016 to 12/31/2019 in US adults with resectable pancreatic cancer were analyzed. Results: Of the 737 patients, 29% received no chemotherapy in either setting; 22% received chemotherapy in both settings. In the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings, 69% and 33% of patients, respectively, received no treatment at all. FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine monotherapy were the most common chemotherapies in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings, respectively. Adjuvant FOLFIRINOX increased post-2018, whereas gemcitabine-based regimens decreased. Conclusion: Several chemotherapy regimens were used in both settings. Treatment patterns differed between the two settings.