[Surgical treatment of elderly patients with pancreatic neoplasm].
OBJECTIVE
To further elucidate the clinical feature, treatment and prognosis of pancreatic cancer in elderly patients.


METHODS
Data of 180 elderly patients with pancreatic cancer operated upon during 1990-2000 were analyzed. Postoperative complications and 30-day mortality rates were recorded among the 46 cases subjective to Whipple procedure, including 22 cases undergoing regional pancreatoduodenectomy after intervention therapy. 78 patients received palliative surgery and 50 patients received laparotomy. Follow-up was made for 6 months to 10 years.


RESULTS
All the patients were operated upon successfully. 48 patients underwent radical pancreatectomy with a mortality rate of 6.2 per cent, a complication rate of 20.8 per cent, and a mean survival period of 26 months. The 78 cases undergoing palliative surgery survived for 6 months on average. 54 patients undergoing laparotomy only survived for 3 months on average.


CONCLUSIONS
Aggressive surgical management helps prolong the survival period and improve the life quality of elderly patients with pancreatic cancer.
Zhang
Q
Q
Center for Pancreatic Cancer, Huashan Hospital, Affiliated to Fudan University Medical School, Shanghai 200040, China.
Ni
Q
Q
Cao
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis