Cost/survival improvements seen in pancreatic cancer vary substantially depending on the method used to treat it, according to a study involving more than 2,400 individuals.

Participants had undergone resection for pancreatic cancer. Investigators looked at links between different types of chemotherapy and survival, and calculated costs for surgery, chemotherapy, and subsequent hospitalizations. Among the results:

• Patients survived a median of ~21 months.
• After controlling for comorbidities and neoadjuvant treatment, those undergoing a combination of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel or capecitabine and radiation improved their survival odds by ~25%.
• Median cumulative payments for gemcitabine with nab-paclitaxel were more than $74,000, the highest of all treatments.

The authors noted that their findings can help stakeholders make decisions about pursuing further care for pancreatic cancer.