Pancreas cancer in Mississippi: present challenges and future directions

Pancreatic cancer remains a deadly disease. Currently, the only hope for cure is surgical resection at an early stage of the disease. However, there is evidence that many individuals do not receive this treatment, perhaps because of health care disparities. Mississippi, because of its socioeconomic composition, has been the focus of concern for health care disparities. In order to determine whether such disparities exist in Mississippi for pancreatic cancer, a retrospective analysis was done from 2000 2006 of case diagnosis, treatment, and mortality from this disease. The Mississippi Cancer Registry, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program were surveyed. Outcomes at all 12 ACS Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredited hospitals within the state were compared to the NCDB nationwide (n=1331 hospitals). In 2006 Mississippi had the highest death rate from pancreas cancer in the nation (12.7/100,000). Age-adjusted incidence by county ranged to a high of 26.91/100,000. Fifty-one percent of patients who died from pancreatic cancer in the state were treated at ACS CoC hospitals. The fate of the other 49% is not known. Of the patients tracked at CoC hospitals, there was essentially no significant difference with respect to age distribution, stage at diagnosis, or first treatment modalities when compared to NCDB nationwide CoC data. There were fewer patients surviving two years with locally advanced disease compared to national figures. Of concern was the large number of patients whose treatment for pancreatic cancer is unknown. It is incumbent on health care providers in the state to develop a system of care for pancreatic cancer that is accessible, inclusive, and comprehensive.