Four cases of invasive ductal carcinoma with intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas

Abstract

We report four cases of pancreatic cancer with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). In all cases, the IPMN was an intraductal papillary mucinous adenomas, and the accompanying pancreatic cancer had an advanced stage : 2 cases had stage III, one stage IVa, and one had stage IVb. The prognosis was poor in all cases. Other investigators have suggested that the synchronous or metachronous occurrence of pancreatic cancer of the ordinary type occurs in 10% of IPMN cases. All 4 of our IPMN cases were identified based on symptoms or imaging studies, results as also having advanced stage invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas. Therefore, the prognosis of these patients was poor. Given these findings, careful follow-up of IPMN patients is important, to facilitate the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancers.