Key clinical point: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) developed early during carbon ion radiotherapy among patients with pancreatic cancer, suggesting pancreatic sensitivity to carbon-ion beams.
Major finding: Overall, 57.6% of patients developed EPI, defined as both amylase and lipase deficiencies, within 13.6 months during and after carbon-ion radiotherapy. Pancreatic volume that received < 5 Gy at the cutoff value of 4.57 cm 3 was the most effective prognostic factor for EPI development (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.74; P = .02).
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective analysis of 33 patients with pancreatic cancer and normal serum pancreatic amylase and lipase levels who underwent carbon-ion radiotherapy.
Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared no conflict of interests.
Source: Shiba S et al. Clin Tranl Radiat Oncol. 2021;31:80-85. doi: 10.1016/j.ctro.2021.09.007.
