[A Case of an Elderly Patient with Locally Advanced Pancreatic Head Cancer in Which a Metallic Stent Was Removed Endoscopically after Tumor Shrinkage Was Achieved with Gemcitabine Monotherapy].

An 86-year-old woman was referred from another hospital for gemcitabine monotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic head cancer. After 8 courses of gemcitabine monotherapy, follow CT showed partial response, and biliary metallic stent which had been placed 8 months ago displaced into the duodenum. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed and the stent was retrieved. There has been no subsequent elevation in hepatic and biliary enzymes, and she is currently under observation without re-stenting. There have been reports of displaced biliary stents causing gastrointestinal perforation and intestinal obstruction. For cases where chemotherapy is effective and the placement duration of the bile duct stent is prolonged, it is necessary to increase the frequency of abdominal X-rays to monitor the dislocation of the bile duct stent carefully.