OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the one year overall survival rate of patients with advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer treated with fluorouracil, leucovorin, mitomycin and dipyridamole. II. Assess the response rate in this group of patients. III. Evaluate the frequency and severity of the toxic effects associated with this therapy. IV. Assess the rate of resectability in patients who respond to therapy.
OUTLINE: All patients undergo surgical placement of an indwelling central venous line. Patients receive fluorouracil IV by continuous infusion on days 1-28, leucovorin calcium IV on days 1, 8, 15, and 22, oral dipyridamole on days 1-28, and mitomycin IV every 6 weeks starting on day 1. Treatment repeats every 6 weeks for 4 courses. Patients with a partial or complete response are reevaluated for possible surgical resection. Resected patients resume chemotherapy 4-8 weeks after surgery for an additional 16 weeks. Patients are followed every 6 months for 2 years, then annually until death.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 55 patients will be accrued for this study.
