[Resection of pancreatic cancer and simultaneous lung metastasis--a case report of successful in tumor dormancy mainly by postoperative 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy].

A 48-year-old male patient was admitted to our institution with left hypochondralgia. Preoperative serum CEA was 504 ng/ml. Under a radiological diagnosis of simultaneous double cancer of the pancreas and lung, resection was performed. Pathological study revealed primary pancreatic cancer with lung metastasis. After the operation, serum CEA fell to 55 ng/ml. Seventeen months later, bowel obstruction occurred and serum CEA was 140 ng/ml. One course of systemic chemotherapy, using the combination of CDDP, 5-FU and Leucovorin, was successful. After another three months, however, the same clinical symptoms occurred. With no response to the prior chemotherapy regimen, surgery was undertaken and a mass at the mesentery was removed. Fifty-nine months have passed since the initial operation and the patient is free of disease, though his serum CEA is around 50 ng/ml. In conclusion, there are cases of pancreatic cancer in which tumor dormancy can be achieved by postoperative 5-FU based chemotherapy.