Survival and prognostic factors in pancreatic and ampullary cancer

We analyzed survival of patients diagnosed with ampullary cancer (AC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC).

Between 1996 and 2009, 505 and 69 patients diagnosed with PDAC and AC, respectively, were identified. Overall survival was analyzed according to tumor entity, therapeutic approach and pathological tumor stage.

The 5-year overall survival rate of patients with AC (37%; 95% confidence interval 25-49%) was remarkably higher compared to PDAC patients (7%; 95% confidence interval 5-10%). In both cohorts, surgical resection improved survival. Analysis of pathological factors revealed a survival benefit for patients staged with small primary tumors (pT1/2) and exclusion of distant metastases (M0) for both PDAC and AC. Interestingly, absence of lymph node metastasis substantially improved survival in AC, but not in PDAC.

Overall survival of patients with AC is superior compared to that of patients with PDAC. Therapeutically, adequate regional lymph node dissection seems particularly important for the surgical management of AC.