Impact of neoadjuvant therapy on postoperative outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy

Surgical resection provides the only potentially curative treatment of pancreatic cancer. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation (NAT) is used to downstage patients with borderline resectable tumors. The objective of this study was to examine the postoperative morbidity and mortality of NAT after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA).

Using the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Targeted Pancreatectomy data, we identified patients who underwent a PD for PDA from 2014 to 2015. Patients were grouped by receipt of NAT 90 days before PD. Bivariable and multivariable analyses was used to compare postoperative outcomes.

A total of 3748 patients with PDA underwent PD; 926 (24.7%) received NAT. Those in the NAT group had more major vein resections, and longer operating times (all P < 0.001). On pathologic staging, those in the NAT group had smaller tumors (T1, 10.9% vs 5.1%; P < 0.001) and fewer nodes positive (N0, 49% vs 28%; P < 0.001). There were no differences in 30-day postoperative mortality or overall complications. On multivariable analysis, patients who received NAT had a lower likelihood of pancreatic fistula (OR, 0.67; P < 0.001).

NAT does not increase the overall postoperative morbidity or mortality of PD for PDA. There is a decreased likelihood of pancreatic fistulas in patients that receive neoadjuvant therapy.