Background/aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between age and long-term survival among patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
Patients and methods: A total of 916 patients who underwent PD for curative resection of PDAC were included in this study. Patients were divided into younger (n=726, <70 years) and older (n=190, ≥70 years), and the overall survival (OS) between the two groups was compared.
Results: Median OS was significantly longer in the younger group (p<0.001). However, the survival advantage among younger patients was not significant when analyzing only patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.548). Among patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy, OS was significantly longer in the younger group (p=0.003). Among patients who received neither adjuvant chemotherapy nor treatment for recurrence, survival was not significantly different between the groups (p=0.629).
Conclusion: Adjuvant chemotherapy should be recommended, and additional treatment for recurrence is effective even among elderly who have not received adjuvant chemotherapy.
Keywords: Pancreatic cancer; adjuvant; elderly chemotherapy; pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Copyright© 2019, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.