Catalog entry human-reviewed · each study below is labeled with how it was published · How we review →
Auto-discovered from 1 recent study; not yet curated.
Human trialTrialReported positiveStrong evidenceTier 4 · clinicaln = 571
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · Jul 2025 · randomized, open-label, phase III, multicenter
This randomized phase III trial assigned 571 patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma to gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel with or without Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields). Adding TTFields significantly prolonged median overall survival (16.2 vs 14.2 months; HR 0.82; P = .039), and also improved pain-free survival and distant progression-free survival; PFS, local PFS, and overall response rate were not improved. Device-related skin adverse events occurred in 76.3% of patients (mostly mild-to-moderate) with 7.7% reporting grade 3 skin AEs.
Reported effects: median OS 16.2 mo [15–18], n=571 · OS HR 0.82 [0.68–0.99], p=0.039, n=571 · +6 more
Studied with: gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel.
Key findings
- Overall survival (OS) was significantly longer with TTFields plus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel alone (median 16.2 months v 14.2 months; HR 0.82; P = .039).
- Pain-free survival was significantly prolonged with TTFields (median 15.2 months v 9.1 months; HR 0.74; P = .027).
- Distant progression-free survival (distant PFS) was significantly prolonged with TTFields (median 13.9 months v 11.5 months; HR 0.74; P = .022); this analysis was reported post hoc.
- Progression-free survival (PFS), local PFS, and overall response rate (ORR) were not improved with TTFields.
- Device-related skin adverse events occurred in 76.3% of patients, mostly mild-to-moderate, with 7.7% experiencing grade 3 skin AEs.
- The abstract reports no additive systemic toxicity with the addition of TTFields.
Limitations: Open-label design (not blinded).; Distant PFS outcome was analyzed post hoc.; Device-related skin adverse events were common (76.3%), including 7.7% grade 3 events.; Abstract provides limited detail on duration of follow-up and per-arm event counts.; Findings apply to patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma and may not generalize to other stages..
AI summary of the abstract, published automatically under the strong-evidence tier · Jul 2026; an editor has not yet reviewed it. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed
Human trialTrialReported positiveLimited evidenceTier 4 · clinicaln = 36
Redox biology · Nov 2024 · randomized 1:1 controlled trial
This randomized trial compared standard gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy with or without high-dose intravenous vitamin C (75 g three times weekly) in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Adding pharmacological ascorbate increased median overall survival (16 vs 8.3 months) and median progression-free survival (6.2 vs 3.9 months) and did not increase adverse events or worsen quality of life. The trial randomized 36 patients (34 received assigned treatment).
Reported effects: median overall survival 16 mo · HR overall survival 0.46 [0.23–0.92], p=0.03 · +3 more
Studied with: gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel.
Key findings
- Intravenous P-AscH- increased serum ascorbate levels from micromolar to millimolar levels.
- P-AscH- added to gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (ASC) increased overall survival to 16 months compared to 8.3 months with gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (SOC) (HR = 0.46; 90 % CI 0.23, 0.92; p = 0.030).
- Median progression free survival was 6.2 (ASC) vs. 3.9 months (SOC) (HR = 0.43; 90 % CI 0.20, 0.92; p = 0.029).
- Adding P-AscH- did not negatively impact quality of life or increase the frequency or severity of adverse events.
Limitations: Small randomized sample (36 randomized, 34 treated) limits precision and generalizability.; Abstract reports 90% confidence intervals rather than the more conventional 95% CIs.; Trial phase and longer-term follow-up details are not reported in the abstract.; Single randomized trial; results require confirmation in larger studies..
Randomized clinical trial testing high-dose intravenous vitamin C added to first-line chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer with overall and progression-free survival endpoints.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jul 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
Case reportReported negativeLimited evidenceTier 3 · early humann = 1
The Journal of international medical research · Sep 2024 · case report
This is a case report of a woman in her late 50s diagnosed with primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma who underwent surgery. One month after surgery she received gemcitabine plus docetaxel chemotherapy for six months. Recurrence in the pelvic cavity was detected eight months after surgery. The report aims to raise awareness of this rare disease.
Reported effects: chemotherapy_duration 6 mo, n=1 · time_to_recurrence 8 mo, n=1
Studied with: gemcitabine + docetaxel.
Key findings
- A woman in her late 50s presented with a 6-month history of abdominal pain and imaging revealed a pelvic mass.
- She underwent surgery and was diagnosed with primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma.
- One month postoperatively she began gemcitabine and docetaxel chemotherapy and continued this treatment for 6 months.
- Eight months postoperatively recurrence was detected in the pelvic cavity.
Limitations: Single-patient case report (n=1), limiting generalizability; No chemotherapy doses or detailed regimen parameters provided; Short follow-up reported (recurrence at 8 months) with no long-term outcome data; No control or comparator group.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jun 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
ReviewTrialInconclusiveLimited evidenceTier 4 · clinicaln = 11
Revista colombiana de obstetricia y ginecologia · Jun 2024 · expert consensus / practice guideline based on literature review
This paper is an expert consensus, not a clinical study of a single drug. Eleven specialists reviewed the literature and issued recommendations for managing advanced or metastatic high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, genetic testing, bevacizumab, and PARP inhibitors. It does not report new patient outcomes from a trial. The document mainly summarizes what the panel suggested based on existing guidelines and evidence.
Studied with: platinum-based chemotherapy, bevacizumab, paclitaxel, carboplatin.
Key findings
- The panel suggested primary cytoreductive surgery as the initial approach when complete resection is feasible.
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval surgery was suggested when complete cytoreduction is unlikely or the patient has poor functional status/comorbidities.
- Bevacizumab was suggested with platinum-based chemotherapy for high-risk disease, with maintenance only if it was part of first-line therapy.
- PARP inhibitors (olaparib, niraparib, rucaparib) were suggested as maintenance in selected BRCA/HRD-defined groups.
- For platinum-resistant relapse, sequential non-platinum single-agent chemotherapy and best supportive care for poor performance status were suggested.
Limitations: This is a consensus statement/practice guideline, not an original comparative trial.; No new efficacy or safety data are reported in the abstract.; Recommendations are based on literature review and expert agreement, so they are subject to guideline-selection and expert-opinion bias.; The abstract does not provide patient-level outcomes, follow-up, or effect estimates.; Several recommendations are conditional/suggested rather than based on direct evidence from this paper..
Provides management recommendations for advanced/metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer, including several anticancer agents and maintenance strategies.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jun 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
Case reportReported positiveLimited evidenceTier 3 · early humann = 1
Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons · May 2023 · case report with literature review
This is a case report of a 51-year-old woman whose uterine leiomyosarcoma metastasized to the brain 44 months after primary tumor resection. The patient underwent gross-total resection of the brain lesion followed by stereotactic radiosurgery and chemotherapy with gemcitabine and docetaxel; at 8 months after resection she was alive and without recurrence. The authors also reviewed previously reported cases and reported an apparent survival benefit associated with adjuvant radiation therapy.
Reported effects: time_to_brain_metastasis 44 mo, n=1 · follow_up_duration_alive 8 mo, n=1
Studied with: surgical resection (right occipital craniotomy, gross-total resection), stereotactic radiosurgery, chemotherapy (gemcitabine + docetaxel).
Key findings
- A single brain lesion was discovered 44 months after resection of the primary uterine tumor.
- The patient underwent right occipital craniotomy with gross-total resection and received adjuvant stereotactic radiosurgery and chemotherapy with gemcitabine and docetaxel.
- At 8 months postresection the patient remained alive and asymptomatic with no sign of recurrence.
- In a literature review of prior reported cases, the authors found an apparent survival benefit in patients receiving adjuvant radiation therapy.
Limitations: Single-patient case report (n=1), so findings are not generalizable.; Short reported follow-up (8 months) limits assessment of long-term outcomes.; Literature review methods are not described in the abstract (potentially non-systematic and subject to bias).; No control group or randomized comparison to establish causality for the observed outcomes.; No chemotherapy dosing or detailed regimen schedule reported in the abstract..
Report of metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma involving the brain with surgical and adjuvant therapy and a literature review suggesting possible benefit of adjuvant radiation.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Sep 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
Animal studyMixed resultsPreclinical onlyTier 2 · animal
Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · Sep 2021 · preclinical murine tumour model study
In two mouse models of pancreatic cancer (PSN-1 and BxPC-3) the authors evaluated whether sonodynamic therapy (SDT) could enhance chemoradiation (CRT). Both CRT alone and CRT plus SDT delayed tumour growth in both models. Adding SDT increased survival versus CRT alone in the PSN-1 model (p = 0.038) but not in the BxPC-3 model. Imaging indicated PSN-1 tumours were less well perfused/vascularised, which the authors suggest may explain greater sensitivity to SDT-induced vascular damage.
Reported effect: survival (PSN-1) CRT+SDT vs CRT alone p-value, p=0.038
Studied with: chemoradiation (CRT).
Key findings
- Both CRT and the combination of CRT plus SDT delayed tumour growth in the two tumour models (PSN-1 and BxPC-3).
- In the PSN-1 model, but not the BxPC-3 model, the combination treatment caused an increase in survival relative to CRT alone (p = 0.038).
- MRI and ultrasound imaging showed PSN-1 tumours were less well perfused and vascularised than BxPC-3 tumours.
- Authors propose that poorer vascularisation of PSN-1 tumours may explain their greater susceptibility to vascular damage from SDT.
Limitations: Preclinical animal study (murine models) — results may not translate to humans.; Only two tumour models (PSN-1 and BxPC-3) were tested.; Abstract does not report sample sizes, randomization, blinding, or dosing details for the sensitiser.; Identity and dosing of the sonosensitiser are not provided in the abstract.; Survival benefit observed in only one of the two models, limiting generalizability..
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Sep 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed
ReviewMechanismInconclusiveLimited evidenceTier 3 · early human
Cancers · Apr 2021 · Review
Gemcitabineovarian clear cell carcinomaovarian cancerhigh-grade serous carcinoma This review summarizes treatment strategies for ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC), a subtype of ovarian cancer that is often resistant to conventional platinum chemotherapy and more common in Asian populations. The authors note frequent deleterious ARID1A/SWI/SNF mutations in OCCC and propose three therapeutic approaches: prioritizing gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, exploiting synthetic lethal vulnerabilities due to SWI/SNF deficiency, and using immune checkpoint blockade given high mutational burden. They suggest ARID1A deficiency could serve as a biomarker to guide precision treatment, but the abstract does not present new experimental or trial data.
Key findings
- OCCC is more frequent in Asian countries (~25% of ovarian cancers) than in US/European countries (less than 10%).
- OCCC is refractory to conventional platinum-based chemotherapy, which is effective against high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC).
- Deleterious mutations in SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling genes, such as ARID1A, are common in OCCC but rare in HGSC.
- Three strategy classes are proposed: gemcitabine-based chemotherapy regimens, synthetic lethal therapies targeting SWI/SNF deficiency, and immune checkpoint blockade exploiting high mutational burden.
- ARID1A deficiency is proposed as a potential biomarker for precision medicine in ovarian cancer.
Limitations: Narrative review only; no new experimental, preclinical, or clinical data are reported in the abstract.; Proposed strategies are described conceptually; the abstract provides no quantitative clinical outcomes or trial results to support efficacy.; Heterogeneity of evidence and levels of support for each proposed strategy are not detailed in the abstract..
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jul 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
ReviewMechanismReported positivePreclinical onlyTier 1 · lab
International journal of clinical oncology · Mar 2020
Gemcitabineovarian clear cell carcinomaepithelial ovarian carcinoma This review summarizes molecular alterations in ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) and discusses how they could guide precision therapy. It highlights PIK3CA mutation as a druggable activator of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and reports that ARID1A loss creates synthetic-lethal vulnerabilities to PARP inhibitors, EZH2 inhibitors, and glutathione inhibitors. The authors also note recent evidence suggesting ARID1A-deficient OCCC may be responsive to gemcitabine, and propose gene-alteration profiling to improve prognosis.
Studied with: PARP inhibitors, EZH2 inhibitors, glutathione inhibitors, gemcitabine.
Key findings
- Oncogenic PIK3CA mutation activates the PIK3CA/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and is described as a promising druggable alteration in OCCC.
- Deleterious ARID1A mutations (ARID1A deficiency) make OCCC cells sensitive to drugs targeting PARP and EZH2, as well as to glutathione inhibitors (synthetic lethality).
- The authors report recent evidence that ARID1A-deficient OCCC could benefit from gemcitabine treatment.
- Precision medicine based on gene alteration profiling is proposed as a strategy that might improve prognosis for OCCC patients.
Limitations: This is a review article and does not present primary trial data within the abstract.; The abstract emphasizes molecular and preclinical vulnerabilities (synthetic lethality) rather than reporting results from controlled clinical trials.; No sample sizes, study designs, or quantitative patient outcomes are reported in the abstract.; Clinical benefit in patients is presented as a possibility or recent evidence without details (limiting assessment of clinical applicability)..
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Sep 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed
ReviewMixed resultsLimited evidenceTier 4 · clinical
Current opinion in oncology · Jul 1998
This is a narrative review summarizing recent advances in pancreatic cancer. It states that helical CT is increasingly used for staging, the role of chemoradiation in pre- and postoperative settings is being defined, and gemcitabine has become first-line therapy for advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The authors note that growing knowledge of the molecular biology of pancreatic cancer may improve diagnosis, staging, and treatment in the future.
Studied with: radiation therapy.
Key findings
- Helical CT has become the preferred staging study at many institutions.
- The role of chemoradiation therapy in preoperative and postoperative settings is being defined.
- Gemcitabine has become first-line therapy for patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
- Increasing knowledge of molecular biology is hoped to lead to improvements in diagnosis, staging, and treatment.
Limitations: Narrative review without original patient-level data reported in the abstract.; No methods or selection criteria for included studies are described in the abstract.; No quantitative results, effect sizes, or details (doses, schedules, comparative outcomes) are provided.; Statements are high-level and do not specify timing, patient selection, or evidence strength for recommendations..
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jun 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed
Evidence at a glance: Gemcitabine by cancer
A deterministic grade of what published studies report for each: strength of evidence, the reported direction, and the largest credible effect, strongest-evidence first. This summarizes findings; it is not a claim that anything works.
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