title: [Clinical characteristics of pancreatic metastases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Histologically confirmed metastatic pancreatic cancers are infrequent. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical, therapeutic and prognostic features of pancreatic metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated stage of primary malignancies, interval between diagnosis of primary tumors and detection of pancreatic metastases, treatment for metastases to the pancreas, survival rate, and prognostic factors in 31 patients with pancreatic metastases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age at the time of primary cancer diagnosis was 52.4 ± 13.2 years. Primary cancers were renal cell carcinoma (n=16), non-small cell lung cancer (n=6), small cell lung cancer (n=3), colorectal carcinoma (n=2), osteosarcoma (n=1), gastric carcinoma (n=1), malignant melanoma (n=1), and thymic carcinoma (n=1). Pancreatic metastases were synchronous in six cases and metachronous in twenty five cases, with median interval time of 40.8 months (range 3-186) between the diagnosis of primary tumor and detection of pancreatic metastases. The median survival after the detection of the metastases was 16 months. In multivariate analysis, non-renal cell carcinoma as primary malignancy and positive symptom related to pancreatic metastases were associated with poor prognosis (hazard ratio [HR], 8.33; 95% CI, 2.1-33; p=0.003, and HR, 4.02; 95% CI, 1.27-12.7; p=0.018).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Metastatic tumors to the pancreas have to be kept in mind when a patient with pancreatic mass has a history of other malignancy, even if treated several years before. In the absence of widely metastatic disease, aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach may offer the chance of long-term survival in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Boo
authors.forename: Myung Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yu Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Choong Heon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Hong Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Do Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Wan
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Sung Koo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Song Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Duck Jong
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate