Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Advanced Unresectable and Metastatic Disease
Author and Disclosure Information [Show]

Alejandro Recio-Boiles, MD
Fellow, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ

Hani M. Babiker, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Associate Director of Phase I Program, University of Arizona Cancer Center; Clinical Assistant Professor, Translational Genomics Research Institute, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ

Question 1 of 5

A 62-year-old man with a history of anorexia and weight loss over the past 3 months presents with obstructive painless jaundice that has been present for the past 24 hours. In the emergency department, an abdominal multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scan identifies dilated common and intrahepatic bile ducts due to a 4.6 × 3.7 cm mass in the head of the pancreas and multifocal liver lesions, the largest of which is 2.7 cm in diameter. A biliary stent is placed via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and forceps biopsy provides tissue confirmation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Findings from ultrasound-guided core biopsy of 1 of the liver lesions are consistent with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The patient otherwise has excellent performance status with no medical comorbidities and desires treatment with the goals of prolonging his life and maintaining his quality of life. You are consulted for an opinion regarding the best possible treatment option.

Which of the following would not be an appropriate next step in the treatment of this patient?

Referral to palliative and hospice care for best supportive care alone

Enrollment in a clinical trial of first-line systemic therapy

Starting systemic therapy with gemcitabine

Starting systemic therapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel

Starting systemic therapy with fluorouracil plus leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX)

Hospital Physician: Hematology/Oncology. 2018 May;13(3)

This quiz is not accredited for CME.

More from Board Review Questions: Hematology/Oncology

QUIZ

Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
Testicular Cancer
Management of Advanced Melanoma
Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Transfusion Reactions (part 2)
Transfusion Reactions (part 1)
Plasma Cell Disorders (part 3)
Plasma Cell Disorders (part 2)
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Aplastic Anemia
Transfusion Medicine
Management of Metastatic Gastric Cancer
Small Cell Lung Cancer
Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Urothelial Carcinoma: Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Disease
Management of Colorectal Cancer in Older Adults
Aggressive B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Von Willebrand Disease: Clinical Management
Von Willebrand Disease: Assessment and Diagnostic Testing
Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Treatment
Late Pulmonary Complications After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Polycythemia Vera and Essential Thrombocythemia: Current Management
Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancers
Early Pulmonary Complications After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Hairy Cell Leukemia
Genomic Testing in Women with Early-Stage Hormone Receptor–Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
Immune Thrombocytopenia
Cancer-Related Fatigue
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Advanced Stage and Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma
Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer
Molecular Markers and Targeted Therapies in the Management of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma: Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy
Thrombosis in Pregnancy
Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Early-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma
Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Therapy for Gastric Cancer
Hemophilia A and B
Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Sickle Cell Disease
Renal Cell Carcinoma
Management of Locally Advanced Rectal Adenocarcinoma
Adjuvant Systemic Therapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Plasma Cell Disorders
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Acute and Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease