The use of gemcitabine (Gemzar) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
Record ID 32002000500
English
Authors' objectives:
This guide is about the use of the drug gemcitabine (Gemzar) in Scotland. Much of the information in this booklet comes from a leaflet published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) for England and Wales in Guidance on the use of gemcitabine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer Information for patients (May 2001). The NICE leaflet (available at http://www.nice.org.uk) was published after NICE looked at the available evidence on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of gemcitabine to provide guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of this drug in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Authors' recommendations:
NICE has recommended to the NHS that:
- People with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer may be treated with gemcitabine as a first line treatment if they have a Karnofsky performance score of 50 or more. Karnofsky is a measure given by a health professional to a person's ability to perform certain ordinary tasks: 100 = normal, no complaints, 70 = unable to carry on normal activity, 50 = requires considerable assistance, 40 = disabled, 30 = hospitalisation recommended.
- Gemcitabine should not be used for people with pancreatic cancer who are suitable for surgery that may cure their cancer, or those who have a Karnofsky performance score of less than 50.
- Gemcitabine should not be used as a second line treatment for people with pancreatic cancer because there is insufficient evidence to support this practice.
Details
Project Status:
Completed
URL for project:
http://www.htbs.co.uk/publications/htaguides.asp?did=425
Year Published:
2001
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
Scotland, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
- Therapeutics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms
- Neoplasm Metastasis
- Antineoplastic Agents
- Deoxycytidine
Contact
Organisation Name:
Health Technology Board for Scotland
Contact Address:
Delta House, 50 West Nile Street Glasgow G1 2NP Scotland United Kingdom Tel: +44 141 225 6988; Fax: +44 141 221 3262
Contact Name:
shtg.hcis@nhs.net
Contact Email:
shtg.hcis@nhs.net
Copyright:
Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) (merged into NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS))
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.