title: Chronic pancreatitis with synchronous and metachronous malignancy: three unusual cases and a literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The association between these 2 disease processes is not well known. We present 3 unusual cases of pancreatitis associated with pancreatic cancer and review the possible mechanisms that can cause pancreatitis to degenerate into pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case series reviewing 3 unusual cases of chronic pancreatitis associated with pancreatic cancer. The patients' charts are reviewed, and a literature search is performed looking for chronic pancreatitis associated with pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cases were performed at a small community hospital in New York City, New York.
  
  
  METHODS
  The surgeons involved are experienced pancreatic surgeons with a large referral group. The endoscopies were performed by gastroenterologists with years of experience in biliary and pancreatic disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cases and the literature review support the hypothesis that there is an association between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three unusual case of chronic pancreatitis, 2 with synchronous and 1 with metachronous malignancies, are presented. The pathway of benign to malignant change is reviewed, and the constant awareness that pancreatitis is associated with malignancy must be kept in mind.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Cabrini Medical Center, New York, NY 1003, USA. waynedocny@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wayne
authors.forename: Avram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cooperman
authors.forename: Franklin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kasmin
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dryska
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ottaviano
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Katcherian
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cambronero
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siegel
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery