Role of surgical resection in treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fifth leading cause of death from malignant diseases. The total five-year rate is bellow 5%, but in patients who underwent pancreatic resection, the five-year rate may be up to 20%. Surgical resection is still the only therapeutic option that offers the possibility of cure. In recent decades, the perioperative mortality rate has been significantly reduced in the institutions performing a number of these operations per year and has become less than 5%. Postoperative morbidity remains high. The results of surgical resection in the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been analyzed. A retrospective study included the patients operated at the Department for Abdominal, Endocrine and Transplantation surgery, Clinical Center of Vojvodina. In the period from February 1st 1998 to February 1st 2007 a total of 67 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma underwent resection. The average age of patients was 58.81 +/- 1.42 years. There were 44 (65.7%) male and 23 (34.3%) female patients. The most common locations of cancer were the head, then the body and the tail of the pancreas and they were found in 57 (85.1%) cases, 7 (10,4%) cases and 3 (4,47%) cases, respectively. The postoperative mortality appeared in 3 (4.47%) cases and postoperative morbidity in 21 (31.3%) cases. The average survival was 22.89 +/- 3.87 months, the median being 9.0 +/- 2.18 months. The five-year survival rate was 13.5%. For patients with pancreatic cancer, surgical resection still remains the only chance of cure. These procedures are performed with acceptable postoperative mortality and morbidity rate. The percentage of cured patients is still unsatisfactorily low.