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Updated: May 17, 2026
DIPLOMA Approach for Standardized Pathology Assessment of Distal Pancreatectomy Specimens
Published on: February 1, 2020
Survival after pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma is not impacted by performance status
John E Mullinax1, Jonathan M Hernandez, Paul Toomey
1Department of Surgery, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33606, USA. jmullina@health.usf.edu
Background:
Patients with the best performance status have the best prognosis after resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This study was undertaken to determine the impact of performance status on survival after pancreatectomy for adenocarcinoma.
Methods:
Patients with a Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) status (KPS) ≥60 after pancreatectomy for adenocarcinoma were evaluated, and the impact of the KPS at 6 weeks after pancreatectomy on survival was determined using survival curve analysis.
Results:
Recurrence was experienced by 84% of patients and negatively impacted patient survival. The median overall survival was 12 months, and the 2-year overall survival was 35%. The KPS after pancreatectomy did not impact survival when using survival curve analysis (P = .5740).
Conclusions:
Performance status for patients with a KPS ≥60 after pancreatectomy does not impact survival. Patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma without adjuvant therapy have poor overall survival, and KPS after pancreatectomy for adenocarcinoma should not be used to withhold therapy for these patients.
