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Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: The Actual 5-Year Survivors

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Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery Aims and scope

Abstract

Background

Most reports of patients undergoing resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma report estimated (actuarial) 5-year survival rates. Actual 5-year survival is rarely described, and factors associated with long-term survival are not well described.

Methods

Review of a prospectively maintained database identified 618 patients who underwent resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 1/1983–1/2001. Patient, tumor, and treatment-related variables were assessed for their association with 5-year survival.

Results

There were 75 patients who survived >5 years after resection (75 out of 618, 12%), and 18 patients who survived >10 years (18 out of 352, 5%). Patient age, gender, and tumor location were not associated with 5-year survival, whereas early American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage (p < 0.001) and negative margins (p = 0.001) were associated with 5-year survival. Patients with stage IA disease had an actual 5 year survival of 26%. Median follow-up was 108 months. Recurrent disease developed in 38 patients (51%) and all died from disease. Adjuvant therapy was received by 21% (16 out of 75), and tumors were moderately differentiated in 58% (42 out of 75) and had a median size of 2.8 cm (0.8–13 cm).

Conclusions

Actual 5-year survival after resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma was 12%. AJCC stage and negative margins were the only significant predictors of long-term survival. Early detection and intervention for patients with pancreatic cancer is crucial.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Howard 1223, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Cristina R. Ferrone, Murray F. Brennan, Daniel G. Coit, Yuman Fong & Peter J. Allen

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Mithat Gonen

  3. Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Sun Chung, Laura Tang & David Klimstra

Authors
  1. Cristina R. Ferrone
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  2. Murray F. Brennan
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  3. Mithat Gonen
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  4. Daniel G. Coit
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  5. Yuman Fong
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  6. Sun Chung
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  7. Laura Tang
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  8. David Klimstra
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  9. Peter J. Allen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter J. Allen.

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Ferrone, C.R., Brennan, M.F., Gonen, M. et al. Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: The Actual 5-Year Survivors. J Gastrointest Surg 12, 701–706 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-007-0384-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-007-0384-8

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