Prognostic factors associated with long-term survival and recurrence in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

It is very important to determine the prognostic factors for pancreatic adenocarcinoma when choosing surgical and conservative management strategies. In this study, we identified prognostic factors for survival and recurrence in patients with histologically proven pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Between January 2003 and December 2009, 82 patients with histologically proven pancreatic adenocarcinoma were considered for this study. Follow-up consisted of personal contact with patients or review of electronic medical records at this center and was terminated on December 31, 2011 or upon the patient's death.

Overall survival rates of all patients at 1, 3, and 5 years were 51.9, 21.6 and 16.0%. Preoperative jaundice was the only independent prognostic factor for total pancreatic cancer patients, while N stage and perineural invasion in pathological findings was identified as an independent prognostic factor for survival of patients with surgical resection. Chemotherapy was the only independent prognostic factor for survival of patients who underwent palliative surgical bypass.

Preoperative jaundice in any patients, lymph node metastasis, perineural invasion in patients with surgical resection, and chemotherapy in patients undergoing palliative surgical bypass are important prognostic factors for survival of pancreatic cancer.