Journal Article

Nationwide implementation of the international multidisciplinary best-practice for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (PREOPANC-4): study protocol

van Santvoort, H. C., Daams, F., de Meijer, V. E., Katz, M. G. H., Patijn, G. A., Stommel, M. W. J., Kazemier, G., den Dulk, M., Beuk, L. P. M., Wumkes, M. L., van der Kolk, B. M., Erdmann, J. I., Scheepens, J. C. M., de Groot, J. W. B., Busch, O. R., Lutchman, K. R. D., Neumann, U. P., Wilmink, J. W., Nijkamp, M. W., Wolfgang, C. L., Stiggelbout, A. M., Seelen, L. W. F., Manusama, E. R., van Hellemond, I. E. G., van Tienhoven, G., Theijse, R. T., Luelmo, S. A. C., Polée, M. B., Stoop, T. F., Bonsing, B. A., Besselink, M. G., de Wilde, R. F., van Veldhuisen, E., Festen, S., Mekenkamp, L. J., Draaisma, W. A., Lips, D. J., Hackert, T., Kerver, E. D., Del Chiaro, M., van Eijck, C. H. J., Molenaar, I. Q., de Groot, D. J. A., de Vos-Geelen, J., Rietjens, J. A. C., van der Hout, A. C., Homs, M. Y. V., Kranenburg, L. W., de Hingh, I. H., Ali, M., Lelieveld-Rier, H. N., van ’t Land, F. R., Bollen, T. L., Cirkel, G. A., Wijsman, J. H., Mieog, J. S. D., Groot Koerkamp, B.

2025

Overview

Background The introduction of (m)FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine-nab-paclitaxel has changed the perspective for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Consequently, in experienced centres 23% of patients with LAPC undergo a resection with 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of up to 25%. In the Netherlands, the nationwide resection rate for LAPC remains low at 8%. The PREOPANC-4 program aims for a nationwide implementation of the international multidisciplinary best-practice to improve patient outcome. Methods Nationwide program implementing the international multidisciplinary best-practice for LAPC. In the training phase, multidisciplinary and surgical webinars are given by 4 international experts, leading to a clinical protocol, followed by surgical off-site and on-site proctoring sessions. In the implementation phase, the clinical protocol will be implemented in all centres, including a nationwide expert panel (2022–2024). Healthcare professionals will be trained in shared decision-making. Consecutive patients diagnosed with pathology-proven LAPC (i.e., arterial involvement > 90° and/or portomesenteric venous > 270° involvement or occlusion [DPCG criteria]) are eligible. Primary outcomes are median and 5-year OS from diagnosis, resection rate, in-hospital/30-day mortality and major morbidity (i.e., Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ IIIa), and radical resection (R0) rate. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, functioning, side effects, and patients’ healthcare satisfaction in all included patients. Outcomes will be compared with patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) treated with neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX in the PREOPANC-2 trial (EudraCT: 2017–002036-17) and a historical cohort of patients with LAPC from the PACAP registry (NCT03513705). The existing prospective LAPC Registry and PACAP PROMs (NCT03513705) will be used for data collection. In qualitative interviews, treatment preferences, values, and experiences of LAPC patients, their relatives, and healthcare professionals will be assessed for the development of shared decision-making supportive tools. It is hypothesized that the program will double the nationwide LAPC resection rate to 16% with major morbidity < 50% and mortality ≤ 5%, and OS following resection similar to that observed in patients with BRPC. Discussion The PREOPANC-4 program aims to safely implement the international multidisciplinary best-practice for LAPC leading to benchmark outcomes for both short-term morbidity, mortality, and OS. Trial registration PREOPANC-4 program was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05524090) on September 1, 2022.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Albumins / Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use / Benchmarks / Best practices / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Cancer / Cancer Research / Cancer therapies / Care and treatment / Chemotherapy / Collaboration / Decision making / Deoxycytidine - administration & dosage / Deoxycytidine - analogs & derivatives / Diagnosis / Divestments / Fluorouracil - therapeutic use / Gemcitabine / Health aspects / Health care / Health Promotion and Disease Prevention / Humans / Implementation program / Induction therapy / Irinotecan - therapeutic use / Leucovorin / Locally advanced pancreatic cancer / Medical personnel / Medical referrals / Medicine/Public Health / Methods / Morbidity / Mortality / Multidisciplinary teams / Netherlands / Oncology / Oncology, Experimental / Oxaliplatin - administration & dosage / Oxaliplatin - therapeutic use / Paclitaxel / Paclitaxel - administration & dosage / Pancreatectomy / Pancreatic cancer / Pancreatic Neoplasms - drug therapy / Pancreatic Neoplasms - mortality / Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology / Pancreatic Neoplasms - therapy / Patients / Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide / Practice / Quality of Life / Shared decision making / Study Protocol / Surgeons / Surgery / Surgical Oncology / Surgical techniques / The Netherlands / Training