title: [The role of laparoscopy in surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors reviewed their experience in surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer between 2003-2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty two pancreatic cancer patients (median age 66.7 +/- 12.5) with obstructive jaundice were enrolled in our study: 36 (44%) had an endoscopic biliary stent; 46 patients (56%) were eligible for surgery: 14 received a curative surgery (pancreatoduodenal resection; 4 had a laparoscopic procedure) and 32 patients with non resectable tumor a palliative surgery: 18 had a gastro-jejunal with a biliary anastomosis (in 4 patients the hepatic-jejunal anastomosis was performed in laparoscopy), 6 had a gastro-jejunal anastomosis (2 laparoscopic procedure and 8 patients had only an explorative laparoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The resectability rates was 17.1%. Median age in patients treated with endoscopic biliary stent was significantly higher than those underwent surgery (72.3 +/- 12.2 vs. 63.5 +/- 9.6; p < 0.05). Hospital length of stay in patients underwent radical surgery was significantly higher than those who received palliative surgery (18 +/- 6 vs. 10 +/- 5; p < 0.05). Morbility rate, including operative mortality of .3%, was 15.2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopy is largerly used in major oncologic surgery for several reasons: it minimized surgical manipulations and so post-operative complications. There is enough scientific evidence of low incidence of post-operative complications and long-term results compared to those achieved with traditional surgery.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Chirurgica III Universitaria, Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico di Bari, Italia. paolo.ialongo@vodafone.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ialongo
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrarese
authors.forename: Oronzo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pannarale
authors.forename: Annunziata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panebianco
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpi
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Palasciano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*