[The value of resection in pancreatic cancer: the analysis of an experience of 180 patients in 10 years]

Chirurgia (Bucur). 2004 Jul-Aug;99(4):211-20.
[Article in Romanian]

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer (PC) represents one of the most severe malignant diseases, with an extremely high mortality rate (80% in the first year following diagnosis). The only potentially curative treatment is resection. This report evaluates the last 10-year experience in surgical resection for pancreatic cancer in the Center of General Surgery and Liver Transplantation from the Fundeni Clinical Institute (Bucharest--Romania), between 01.01.1995-01.05.2004. From a total of 832 patients with pancreatic cancer who were surgically treated, 180 underwent various resections (a resecability rate of 21.6%). There were 120 resections for cancer of the pancreatic head: 61 Whipple procedures, 10 pilorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomies, 10 pancreaticoduodenectomies associated with complex resection, 17 pancreaticoduodenectomies with resection of the portal vein, 15 pancreaticoduodenectomies with extensive lymphodissection, 2 subtotal pancreatectomies and 5 total pancreatectomies; 60 standard splenopancreatectomies were performed for cancer of the pancreatic tail. The overall morbidity was 34%--61 patients (38 with cancer of the pancreatic head and 23 with pancreatic cancer of the tail), with the prevalent complication represented by pancreatic fistula. The mortality rate was 6.6%--12 patients (9 with cancer of the pancreatic head and 3 with cancer of the tail); there was a continuous decreasing trend from 9.1% between 1994-1999 to 1.6% between 2002-2004. In our Center an increasing preoccupation for pancreatic surgery, along with an improved surgical experience, resulted in a constant raise in the number of patients resected for pancreatic cancer, with a low morbidity and mortality rate.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Humans
  • Lymph Node Excision
  • Middle Aged
  • Pancreatectomy* / methods
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / mortality
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Pancreaticoduodenectomy
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Splenectomy
  • Survival Rate
  • Treatment Outcome