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Carbon Ion or Conventional Photon Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy in Treating Patients with Locally Advanced, Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

Trial Status: withdrawn

This phase III trial studies how well carbon ion radiation therapy works compared to conventional photon radiation therapy when giving together with chemotherapy in treating patients with pancreatic cancer that has spread from its original site of growth to nearby tissues or lymph nodes (locally advanced) and cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Carbon ion radiation therapy uses charged carbon particles to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Conventional photon radiation therapy, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy is a type of 3-dimensional radiation therapy that uses computer-generated images to show the size and shape of the tumor. This type of radiation therapy reduces the damage to healthy tissue near the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel, capecitabine, fluorouracil, irinotecan, leucovorin and oxaliplatin work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Given carbon ion radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells in patients with pancreatic cancer compared to conventional photon radiation therapy and chemotherapy.