Khaled Ammar1,2, John S Leeds3,4, Chathura Bb Ratnayake5, Gourab Sen1, Jeremy J French1, Manu Nayar3, Kofi W Oppong3, Benjamin Pt Loveday6,7, Sanjay Pandanaboyana1,4. 1. Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK. 2. Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El Kom, Egypt. 3. Department of HPB Endoscopy, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. 4. Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK. 5. Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. 6. Department of General Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia. 7. Department of Surgical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Abstract
Objectives: We analyzed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the impact of PERT on weight change, quality of life, and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). Methods: All RCTs indexed in PubMed, Medline and Scopus, databases reporting PEI in APC and the effect of PERT were included up to August 2020. The primary outcome measure was OS and the secondary outcome measures were weight change and quality of life. Results: Four RCTs including 194 patients (107 males) were analyzed. Ninety-eight (50.5%) patients received PERT treatment. Treatment with PERT did not show a significant effect on OS (SMD 0.12, 95% confidence interval -0.46-0.70, p = 0.46). There was no difference in change in body weight (SMD 0.53, 95% confidence interval -0.72-1.77, p = 0.21). Quality of life was not significantly different in those taking PERT compared to controls.Conclusions: This meta-analysis found no significant difference in OS, change in weight or quality of life with use of PERT in APC. However, non-uniform designs and different end points , along with smaller number of patients, limit a more in-depth analysis of outcomes. Further, RCTs are warranted to support evidence of routine use of PERT in APC.
Objectives: We analyzed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the impact of PERT on weight change, quality of life, and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). Methods: All RCTs indexed in PubMed, Medline and Scopus, databases reporting PEI in APC and the effect of PERT were included up to August 2020. The primary outcome measure was OS and the secondary outcome measures were weight change and quality of life. Results: Four RCTs including 194 patients (107 males) were analyzed. Ninety-eight (50.5%) patients received PERT treatment. Treatment with PERT did not show a significant effect on OS (SMD 0.12, 95% confidence interval -0.46-0.70, p = 0.46). There was no difference in change in body weight (SMD 0.53, 95% confidence interval -0.72-1.77, p = 0.21). Quality of life was not significantly different in those taking PERT compared to controls.Conclusions: This meta-analysis found no significant difference in OS, change in weight or quality of life with use of PERT in APC. However, non-uniform designs and different end points , along with smaller number of patients, limit a more in-depth analysis of outcomes. Further, RCTs are warranted to support evidence of routine use of PERT in APC.