Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) findings to predict survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Abstract

e16734 Background: Chemotherapy is the primary therapy for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but response to therapy is variable. Patients with PDAC often develop jaundice and cholangitis and require endoscopic biliary stenting. Here, we investigate the association between ERCP findings, cholangitis, chemotherapy use, and survival in PDAC patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients who received metal stents for biliary obstruction with PDAC over a five-year period at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Only patients with metastatic cancer were included. Patients were stratified by whether or not they received chemotherapy, as well as the presence or absence of cholangitis. Associations between chemotherapy use and ERCP findings were investigated. Survival analyses were performed to compare patients by chemotherapy use, presence of cholangitis, and findings at ERCP. Results: A total of 126 patients were included; the average age of patients in our study was 69.9 ± 11.8. The average size of the primary lesion was 38.7 ± 14.4 mm. Sixty-nine percent of patients completed chemotherapy. The average number of stents for all patients was 2.5 ± 2.5, but was significantly higher in patients who experienced cholangitis (3.3 ± 2.8) as expected (p < 0.001). The majority of ERCP reports noted debris or sludge (44%), followed by presence of infiltrating or obstructing tumor (27%), stone (13%), pus or purulence (11%), and blood clot (5%). Patients who did not receive chemotherapy were more likely to have tumor obstruction noted on ERCP compared to those who received chemotherapy (p = 0.024). Patients undergoing chemotherapy were also more likely to have sludge noted on ERCP (p = 0.009) compared to those who did not have chemotherapy. There was no association between chemotherapy use and presence of stones (p = 0.94) or presence of purulence (p = 0.44) noted on ERCP. Among patients who received chemotherapy, those who had sludge or debris noted on their ERCP tended to have better survival compared to those where sludge was not noted on endoscopy (p = 0.038). Conversely, among patients who received chemotherapy, identification of an obstructing tumor on ERCP was prognostic of poorer survival (p = 0.037). Among patients who did not get chemotherapy, there was no survival difference between patients who had sludge or tumor and those who did not. Conclusions: Findings on ERCP may serve as a surrogate for chemotherapy response and be prognostic of survival in metastatic PDAC.