Survival and Quality of Life after Pancreatic Resection for Carcinoma of the Pancreas

Abstract

The survival and quality of life in 88 patients with pancreatic ductal carcinoma who underwent radical operation are analyzed. The two groups of patients, I and II, who survived more than 3 years and less than one year, respectively, were characterized and compared clinicopathologically. In group I, most pancreatic carcinomas were diagnosed in association with acute pancreatitis, compared to only a few in group II. The survival rate depended on the grade of cancer invasion into the adjacent tissue including the portal vein, retroperitoneum and lymph nodes. No patient survived more than one year with cancer invasion into the lumen of the portal vein. Postoperative anti-cancer chemotherapy increased the 1-year survival rate.