Effect of complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy on adjuvant therapy utilization and survival in pancreatic cancer.

Abstract

422 Background: While adjuvant therapy (AT) completion is a necessary component of multimodality therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), its timing and utilization can be hindered by complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of post-PD complications on AT utilization and overall survival (OS). Methods: Patients treated with PD for PDAC at a single institution (2000-2012) were evaluated. Data on 90-day complications were extracted from the electronic medical record with postoperative major complications (PMC) defined as Grade ≥3. Patient records were linked to the Surveillance Epidemiology End Results - Kentucky Cancer Registry for AT and OS data. Early AT required a first dose before 8 weeks, while late was 8-16 weeks. Initiation after 16 weeks was not considered adjuvant. Chi-square statistics, Kaplan-Meier plots, and log-rank tests were used to examine associations among complication status and AT timing, AT utilization, and OS. Results: Of 84 total patients, 54 (64%) received AT (34 [41%] early; 20 [24%] late). Rates of patients with 90-day complications were as follows: 44 (52%) Grade ≥1, 37 (44%) Grade ≥2, and 18 (21%) Grade ≥3. Low-grade (Grades 1-2) complications were not associated with late AT or lack of AT (both p>0.082). However, PMC were associated with lower rates of AT (7/18, 39% with PMC vs. 47/66, 71% without PMC, p=0.011). Even patients who recovered from PMC were less likely to meet the early 8-week window (4/18, 22%, patients with PMC, vs. 30/66, 46%, patients with no PMC, p=0.039). PMC were associated with worse median OS (6.1 mo, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.6-12.1, vs. 20.8 mo, 95% CI 17.3-23.8, with no PMC, p<0.001), while low-grade complications were not (all p>0.079). Conclusions: In this series,low-grade complications had minimal effects on AT timing, AT utilization, and OS, but PMC were associated with late and decreased AT utilization and negatively impacted OS.These data suggest that strategies to decrease PMC and/or treatment sequencing alternatives to increase multimodality completion rates in high-risk patients may improve oncologic outcomes.