The prognostic value of micrometastases in pancreatic cancer.
Lymphatic dissemination is one of the most important metastatic routes for pancreatic cancer. According to previous reports, the presence of histologically positive nodal metastases is an important prognostic factor in patients with pancreatic cancer. However, outcome of patients, even those without nodal metastases, who underwent a histologically curative operation for pancreatic cancer is significantly worse than expected, indicating that the presence of immunohistochemically positive nodal micrometastases is an unfavorable prognostic factor in these patients.
Takao
Sonshin
S
Frontier Science Research Center, Kagoshima University Faculty of Medicine, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan. sonshin@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Kurahara
Hiroshi
H
Maeda
Shinichi
S
Shinchi
Hiroyuki
H
D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D011379:Prognosis