Study on Gemcitabine and Marimastat for Pancreatic Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Bramhall S R, Schulz J, Nemunaitis J, Brown P D, Baillet M, Buckels J A C
Primary Institution: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK
Hypothesis
Does the combination of marimastat and gemcitabine improve survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer compared to gemcitabine alone?
Conclusion
The study found no significant survival benefit from adding marimastat to gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- Median survival times were 165.5 days for gemcitabine and marimastat and 164 days for gemcitabine and placebo.
- 1-year survival rates were 18% for the gemcitabine and marimastat group and 17% for the gemcitabine and placebo group.
- There were no significant differences in overall response rates between the treatment arms.
Takeaway
Doctors tested a new medicine called marimastat with another medicine called gemcitabine to see if it helps people with a serious type of cancer, but it didn't make them live longer.
Methodology
This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study involving patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer who received either gemcitabine with marimastat or gemcitabine with placebo.
Limitations
The study did not find a significant survival advantage, and the dose of marimastat used may have been sub-optimal.
Participant Demographics
Patients were aged over 18 years with histologically or cytologically proven adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.95
Confidence Interval
0.76–1.30
Statistical Significance
p=0.95
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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