Resection to Exploration Ratios and Associated Outcomes in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

To investigate resection/exploration ratios (RERs), reasons for omission of pancreatectomy, and survival outcomes in patients undergoing surgical exploration with resection intent for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

While surgical indications for PDAC are expanding, information about intraoperative attrition is lacking.

The RER was calculated in patients with PDAC undergoing exploration from 2018 through 2020. Factors associated with uncompleted resection and survival were identified using multivariable models.

In total, 681 patients were included. Upfront explorations were 296 (43.7%), and postneoadjuvant explorations were 385 (56.3%). The overall RER was 89.7% (90.5% in the upfront setting and 89.1% postneoadjuvant treatment). In this latter subgroup, the RER decreased from 96.1% in resectable disease to 86.6% in borderline resectable disease and 61.9% in locally advanced disease. The primary reasons for uncompleted resection were occult metastases in presumed resectable/borderline resectable disease (without difference between upfront and postneoadjuvant operations) and local unresectability in locally advanced disease. No preoperative variable was associated with uncompleted resection in upfront explorations, while anatomic staging informed the likelihood of surgical attrition following neoadjuvant treatment. Uncompleted resection was invariably associated with a median survival of around 1 year. The median postpancreatectomy survival was 36.9 months in the upfront setting and 29.5 months following neoadjuvant treatment. The median survival from diagnosis in patients receiving postneoadjuvant resection was 34.5 months.

This analysis provided contemporary information about resection rates, reasons for intraoperative attrition, and survival outcomes in the entire spectrum of patients with PDAC selected for surgical exploration at an experienced institution.