A commonly used chemotherapy drug is as effective at helping prevent pancreatic cancer returning after surgery as the more expensive standard chemotherapy treatment, a major international trial has revealed.

The study, funded by the Cancer Research Fund and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, has shown that the cheaper 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) could be prescribed when gemcitabine has failed, providing an extra lifeline for patients.

The study authors are also optimistic that a new trial currently underway, looking at combining an oral version of 5-FU with gemcitabine, could lead to a more effective treatment for pancreatic cancer patients who are eligible for surgery.

Lead researcher Professor John Neoptolemos, Director of the Liverpool Cancer Research UK Centre, said: “Until now the best way to treat pancreatic cancer has been unclear. But these results are the first to directly compare these two chemotherapies and show undoubtedly that they are both as effective as each other.”

Nearly 7,800 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, but around 3% of patients survive for more than five years.

“Pancreatic cancer remains one of the hardest cancers to treat,” commented Kate Law, Director of Clinical Research at Cancer Research UK. “Finding out these two drugs are as effective as each other raises hopes that a new trial currently looking at giving two similar drugs together could be successful at preventing or at least delaying pancreatic cancer returning after surgery.

“Previous trial results involving advanced pancreatic cancer patients have shown this drug combination can give precious extra months or even years of life, so there is reason to be hopeful the survival benefit could be even more marked for patients who are eligible for surgery.”