Advanced pancreatic cancer - how to choose an adequate treatment option.

The prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is poor, making it one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. The 5-year overall survival rate remains below 5% and little progress is made during the past decade. Only about 10%-20% of patients are eligible for curative-intent surgery and the majority end up having recurring disease even after radical surgery and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Chemotherapy in metastatic disease is palliative at best, aiming at disease and symptom control and prolongation of life. Treatment always causes side effects, the degree of which varies from patient to patient, depending on the patient's general condition, concomitant morbidities as well as on the chosen treatment modality. Why is pancreatic cancer so resistant to treatment? How to best help the patient to reach the set treatment goals?