title: Improved survival of left-sided pancreas cancer after surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Resective therapeutic strategy for left-sided pancreatic adenocarcinoma is open to debate. The post-resection outcomes and factors influencing post-resection survival for adenocarcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 73 patients with adenocarcinoma of the body or tail of the pancreas who underwent resection between 1994 and June 2007 were evaluated for overall survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple malignancies were present in 34 of 73 patients (47%). Overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates after surgery were 79%, 34%, and 30%, respectively. Presence of symptoms, multiple cancers and level of preoperative tumor marker did not influence post-resection survival. As for tumor characteristics, tumor size, histological tumor differentiation, retroperitoneal invasion, status of residual tumor and UICC staging represented significant prognostic indicators by univariate analysis. Gemcitabine, when administered as an adjuvant settings, strongly worked for improving post-resection outcome (5-year survival rate = 51%). Factors shown to have independent prognostic significance on multivariate analysis were tumor size (<3 vs. >or=3 cm), status of residual tumor (R0 vs. R1, 2), and postoperative administration of gemcitabine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Appropriate patient selection and accurate surgical technique with postoperative adjuvant therapy could benefit survival of patients with carcinoma of the pancreas body and tail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan. jyamamot@ndmc.ac.jp
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saiura
authors.forename: Rintaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katori
authors.forename: Yo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Yosihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokudo
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine