EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE ANTI-TUMOR EFFECT OF GEMCITABINE IN HUMAN PANCREATIC CANCER

The systemic administration of gemcitabine has been accepted as the first standard treatment for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The survival of patients treated by gemcitabine, however, is still unsatisfactory. To improve the anti-tumor effect of gemcitabine, we investigated molecular changes by gemcitabine in in vitro and in vivo pancreatic cancer models. The findings suggested that administering gemcitabine after 5-FU may be the optimal combination of gemcitabine/5-FU treatment for pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, a study with gemcitabine resistant pancreatic cancer cells using both in vitro and clinical models indicated that ribonucleotide reductase M1 subunit would be a key molecule in gemcitabine resistance in human pancreatic cancer and that RRM1 could have potential as a predictor and modulator of gemcitabine treatment.