title: Clinical characteristics of long-term survivors of inoperable pancreatic cancer: an 8-year cohort analysis in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inoperable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is known to have an extremely poor prognosis. Although rare, there are some patients who have unexpected long-term survival, but the reason is not yet clear.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 482 inoperable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma of 1602 patients diagnosed at Severance Hospital between 2002 and 2009 were evaluated, who were selected statistically with a retrospective cohort study. They were divided into locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) and metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC). Short-term survivors (SS group) were defined as patients who survived less than 9 months with LAPC and 6 months with MPC. Patients who survived 3 times longer than the SS group were classified as long-term survivors (LS group). Predictive factors of long-survival were identified by comparing the 2 groups, and effects of these factors on survival were investigated statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multivariate analysis, better performance status and lower CA19-9 were related to overall survival in LAPC. In MPC, younger age, better performance status, peritoneal metastasis, higher serum albumin, lower CA19-9, and CA19-9 variation were related to overall survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These parameters related to long-term survivors of advanced pancreatic cancer can be useful for the expectation of survival. In the near future, conjunction of these clinical factors and novel molecular biologic characteristics of individual patients can be used for the personalized therapy.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Moon Jae
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Jeong Youp
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seungmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Seung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Bock
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Si Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D011799:Quinazolines; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000077146:Irinotecan; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin; D000093542:Gemcitabine