Pathologic complete response of pancreatic cancer following neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX treatment in hepatic metastasized pancreatic cancer

Abstract

$\textit {Introduction:}$ Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease and often asymptomatic. Therefore, it is most often diagnosed at an advanced stage. The standard approach in a metastasized tumor stage is palliative chemotherapy. However, the prognosis remains extremely poor. $\textit {Case Report:}$ We present the case of a patient who was diagnosed with a cancer of the head of the pancreas with hepatic metastases. After receiving palliative intended chemotherapy with the FOLFIRINOX regimen, staging computed tomography revealed the disappearance of the liver metastases and local resectability of the pancreatic head tumor. The patient underwent an uneventful Whipple's procedure. Surprisingly, pathohistological investigation revealed a complete pathological response. $\textit {Conclusion:}$ Pathological complete response after FOLFIRINOX treatment in hepatic metastasized pancreatic cancer is extremely rare. It enables surgical resection and increases the survival rate significantly