Gemcitabine+Nab-paclitaxel and FOLFIRINOX and Molecular Profiling for Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

The investigators in the PCRT team have developed a therapeutic regimen which attacks both the tumor compartment and the stromal compartment of pancreatic cancer and induces complete responses in a small percentage of patients with advanced stage IV pancreatic cancer. The gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel regimen had outstanding activity in a 67 patient phase I/II trial with all patients at the recommended phase II doses (n=44) having a decrease in CA19-9, some complete responses and a median survival of 12.2 months. The proposed regimen that is devised for this study is a bold, innovative approach with the specific aim of utilizing a relentless pursuit approach to try to make the complete response rate \>70% and have this response be durable (which the PCRT has defined as lasting at least 6 months) and to dramatically enhance the percent of patients who survive one year (try to make the rate \>70%). The induction regimen the investigators propose collapses the stroma (gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel) and addresses the use of a non-cross resistant active regimen (FOLFIRINOX) as a consolidation regimen. Both should improve the chance of driving tumor markers down dramatically. The investigators think that FOLFIRINOX with the stromal collapse induced by the initial regimen, plus the totally non-cross resistant shot against the disease (consolidation), will maximize the chance of achieving a complete response with an attendant improvement in survival. After the consolidation, the patient will be maintained on a less toxic targeted therapy selected by molecular profiling plus the use of the antimetabolomic agent metformin which has consistently been associated with better survival in multiple retrospective studies (Jiralerspong et al., 2009).