Open Access

CASE REPORT

Excellent Survival Outcome in a Patient Receiving NALIRIFOX for Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report

Abdullah Esmail^1,*, Waseem Abdelrahim², Ebtesam Al-Najjar¹, Raed Zaidan³, Tahrir Abdelrahim¹

1 Section of GI Oncology, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
2 Michael E. DeBakey HS for Health Professions, Houston, TX, USA
3 The University of Houston–Clear Lake, Houston, TX, USA

* Corresponding Author: Abdullah Esmail. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Gastroenteropancreatic Tumors: From Basic Research to Therapeutic Approach)

Oncology Research 2026, 34(8), 28 https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2026.083192

Received 31 March 2026; Accepted 05 June 2026; Issue published 16 July 2026

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy that is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage and remains associated with poor survival outcomes. Durable responses to systemic therapy in metastatic disease are uncommon. We report a case of metastatic PDAC with prolonged survival and sustained response following first-line treatment with NALIRIFOX. This report describes a patient with metastatic PDAC who achieved prolonged disease control and sustained response following first-line treatment with NALIRIFOX. Case Presentation: A 64-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain, early satiety, weight loss, and markedly elevated CA 19-9 levels. Imaging demonstrated a pancreatic head mass with multiple hepatic metastases, and biopsy confirmed metastatic poorly differentiated PDAC. The patient initiated first-line therapy with NALIRIFOX as part of the NAPOLI-3 protocol and completed 20 cycles over approximately 25 months. Following an early treatment delay secondary to grade 2 neutropenia, she achieved substantial biochemical and radiographic improvement. After eight cycles, imaging demonstrated marked radiographic response with disappearance of the pancreatic lesion and marked regression of hepatic metastases. Disease stability was maintained for more than two years before progression was identified in a dominant hepatic lesion after cycle 20. Conclusion: This case highlights the potential for prolonged disease control and extended survival with NALIRIFOX in metastatic PDAC, emphasizing the meaningful clinical benefit that may be achieved in selected patients despite historically poor outcomes.

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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