title: Five-year actual survival after pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to analyse retrospectively the long-term results of patients who were operated for adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head and identify significant prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients who were surgically treated for adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head between 1995 and 2006 met the inclusion criteria and were subject to retrospective analysis. Possible prognostic factors were evaluated and independent predictors of survival were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A classic Whipple procedure was performed in 47 patients and a pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy in 32 patients; one patient underwent total pancreatectomy. Five-year survival rate in this group of patients was 13.6%. Median survival time was 24 months. Univariable analysis demonstrated stage of disease, tumour size and grade and nodal status as significant predictive factors of survival. Multivariable analysis indicated tumour size, nodal status and disease stage as significant prognostic indicators in terms of survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term survival in pancreatic cancer is still very low. Prognostic factors include differentiation of the tumour, disease stage and nodal status. So far, there has been no reliable method that can accurately predict which patient will mostly benefit from surgical resection. This means that pancreatic cancer resection should nearly always be attempted.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Surgical Department, George Gennimatas General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Iraklis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Perysinakis
authors.forename: Spyridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avlonitis
authors.forename: Despoina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Georgiadou
authors.forename: Hercules
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsipras
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Margaris
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: curative resection; long-term outcome; pancreatic cancer; pancreatoduodenectomy; prognostic factor