Neoadjuvant Therapy for Resectable or Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

Surgical resection of a primary tumor is the only effective curative treatment for patients with localized pancreatic cancer without a distant metastasis. Nevertheless, most patients eventually develop postoperative recurrence caused by micrometastases. The risk increases if a complete resection is not achieved. Three surgical stages have emerged for a preoperative assessment based on resectability: resectable, borderline resectable, and unresectable. Although controversial, considerable research has focused on the role of neoadjuvant therapy in all forms of potentially resectable pancreatic cancer. While upfront surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy remains the standard of care for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer, there is growing evidence that neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves overall survival without increasing the resection rate in patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. This review describes the current treatment strategies for resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer and summarizes the results of the latest clinical trials. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2024;84:103-110)