Background: Little has been published regarding presenting symptoms, investigations and outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer in Australia. Data from a series of patients undergoing attempted resection in Queensland, Australia, are presented with the aim of assisting development of consistent strategies in disease management. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 121 patients who underwent attempted surgical resection and who took part in a case-control study between 2007 and 2009. Information relating to symptoms, investigations, surgical procedures and outcomes was captured. Results: The mean age was 63 years and 60% were men. The most common presenting symptoms were jaundice (64%) and pain (63%). Over 80% of patients had multiple imaging investigations or laparoscopy prior to surgery. Seventy-eight patients (64%) had a completed resection and 23% of these had involved margins. The presence of metastases and/or involvement of vessels or adjacent structures precluded resection in the remaining patients. The 1-year survival for patients whose resections were completed was 77% compared with 51% for those whose tumours were not resectable (P=0.004). There was no 30-day mortality and 68% of patients were alive 1 year after diagnosis. Resections were performed in 11 different hospitals but over 90% of patients underwent their surgery in one of five high-volume centres. Conclusion: The Queensland experience is consistent with that reported internationally. A significant proportion of attempted resections was not completed because preoperative staging underestimated disease extent. Most patients with potentially resectable disease are being treated in high-volume centres. © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
CITATION STYLE
Wylie, N., Adib, R., Barbour, A. P., Fawcett, J., Hill, A., Lynch, S., … Neale, R. E. (2013). Surgical management in patients with pancreatic cancer: A Queensland perspective. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 83(11), 859–864. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-2197.2012.06312.x
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