Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) prior to resection led to better survival vs upfront resection in people with early-stage, resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, according to a study involving more than 8,000 individuals.

Participants had resected stage I or II adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas. Investigators compared results of patients who underwent NAT before resection (n=2,005) to those whose tumors were resected upfront (n=6,015). Among the results:

• Patients in the NAT group survived a median of 26 months, vs 21 months for those whose tumors were resected upfront.

• Upfront resections resulted in higher pathologic T stage (pT3 and T4: 86%vs 73%), higher positive lymph nodes (73% vs 48%), and higher positive resection margin (24% vs 17%).

• NAT patients’ survival odds were 17% better when compared with a subset of early resection patients who received adjuvant therapy.