Two Chemotherapy Approaches for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer in Frail Patients

This trial is testing whether a lower dose of combination chemotherapy (two medications given together) works better and is safer than a single chemotherapy medication for older or frailer patients with pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed by surgery. Currently, standard treatment guidelines recommend combination chemotherapy for most patients, but doctors often offer only single-agent Gemcitabine to elderly or frail patients because the combination can be harder to tolerate. This study wants to see if the combination medication at a reduced dose might actually help these patients live longer without causing more harm.

Older and frail patients with advanced pancreatic cancer have not had good treatment options, and studies in other cancers suggest that a lower dose of combination therapy might work better than single-agent treatment in these groups. Recent evidence also suggests that using combination chemotherapy more often could improve survival, but no one has formally tested whether a reduced dose is safe and effective for patients too weak for full-strength combination treatment.