Acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas: an institutional series of resected patients and review of the current literature.
BACKGROUND
Acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, malignant neoplasm with a generally poor prognosis. We report our institutional series of 14 patients with ACC to determine current guidelines for their evaluation and treatment.


METHODS
The Johns Hopkins pathology prospective database was reviewed from 1988 to 2006 to identify patients with pancreatic neoplasms possessing features of acinar cell differentiation. Retrospective review and follow-up was performed for each patient.


RESULTS
Fourteen patients with ACC were identified with a median age of 57 years. All patients presented with abdominal pain or discomfort with none showing evidence of lipase hypersecretion syndrome. Each patient underwent surgical resection, including nine pancreaticoduodenectomies and five distal pancreatectomies. Median tumor size was 3.9 cm with 12 patients found to have stage IIB disease or worse. Four patients underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Eight of the fourteen patients developed recurrent disease. Overall median survival and disease-free survival were 33 and 25 months, respectively, as compared to a median survival of 18 months for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Acinar cell carcinomas are rare, aggressive neoplasms that are difficult to diagnose and treat. Operative resection represents the best first-line treatment. These lesions have a better prognosis than the more common pancreatic adenocarcinomas.
Seth
Akhil K
AK
Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 North Wolfe Street, Carnegie 683, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Argani
Pedram
P
Campbell
Kurtis A
KA
Cameron
John L
JL
Pawlik
Timothy M
TM
Schulick
Richard D
RD
Choti
Michael A
MA
Wolfgang
Christopher L
CL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018267:Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology