Abstract
Early detection is important in pancreatic cancer. Small pancreatic cancer less than 2 cm in diameter were analysed. A total of 21 cases, 12 males and 9 females aged between 44 and 83 (median 68.3), were resected between 1981 and 2005. 17 cases were symptomatic. The sensitivity of ERCP, MRCP and EUS were high in diagnostic imaging. More than half of cases were pT3 or pT4 and nodal involvement. Three fourth were f StageIII. Median survival time was 23.6 months and 5-year survival rate was 25.1% in all cases. R0 cases tend to survive longer than R1. Because advanced cases were often even in small pancreatic cancer, the operation with lymphadenectomy and peripancreatic tissues resection aming no residual cancer histopathologically could be needed as curative treatment.
