Surgical treatment of primary duodenal carcinoma: a personal series

In a personal series, 22 patients (11 men, 11 women) of median age 60 (range 25-81) years with primary duodenal adenocarcinoma underwent operation between 1979 and 1993. Tumours arising from bile duct, ampullary or pancreatic tissue were excluded. Principal presenting symptoms were jaundice (12 patients), pain (seven), anaemia (six) and vomiting (six). A pre-existing villous adenoma was seen in 11 patients and adjacent duodenal dysplasia in 13. Sites of origin were mostly the second part of the duodenum (18 patients) but also the third and fourth parts (two each). Seventeen patients underwent 'curative' resection with one hospital death at 25 days; the 5-year survival rate thereafter was 40 per cent. Five patients who received palliative surgery survived for a median of 7 months. Primary duodenal carcinoma is a distinct entity with a better prognosis than pancreatic cancer after radical resection. It favours the descending duodenum and is closely linked with villous adenoma and epithelial dysplasia.