Clinical Factors as a Component of the Personalized Treatment Approach to Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: a Systematic Literature Review.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at late stages, where disease is either locally advanced unresectable or metastatic. Despite advances, long-term survival is relatively non-existent. DISCUSSION: This review article discusses clinical factors commonly encountered in practice that should be incorporated into the decision-making process to optimize patient outcomes, including performance status, nutrition and cachexia, pain, psychological distress, medical comorbidities, advanced age, and treatment selection.
CONCLUSION: Identification and optimization of these clinical factors could make a meaningful impact on the patient's quality of life.