Predicting unresectability in pancreatic cancer patients: the additive effects of CT and endoscopic ultrasound.
BACKGROUND
A standardized method for predicting unresectability in pancreatic cancer has not been defined. We propose a system using CT and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to assess patients for unresectable pancreatic cancers.


METHODS
Radiologic and surgical data from 101 patients who underwent exploration/resection for pancreatic cancer were reviewed. Chi-squares were used to identify five factors significantly correlated with unresectability, which were incorporated into a scoring system (one point for each factor).


RESULTS
The resectability rates were 84, 56, and 10% for patients with scores of 0, 1, and 2, respectively. All four patients with three risk factors for unresectability had unresectable tumors. The most accurate results were achieved in patients evaluated with both CT and EUS.


CONCLUSIONS
This scoring system stratifies pancreatic cancer patients into three groups: (1) patients with a score of zero (likely to undergo successful resection), (2) patients with a score of one (likely to benefit from laparoscopic staging prior to attempting resection), and (3) patients with a score of two or higher (low probability of successful resection, who may be better served by neoadjuvant therapy).
Yovino
Susannah
S
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 22 S Greene St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. susannah.yovino@gmail.com
Darwin
Peter
P
Daly
Barry
B
Garofalo
Michael
M
Moesinger
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D019160:Endosonography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed