Relationship between the survival and the clinicopathological parameters of the patients with tumors in the pancreatic head region.

Abstract

Retrospective study was performed to assess the possible prognostic factors for survival in patients after radical surgery with carcinoma of the pancreatic head region. Twenty-nine patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancers of the pancreatic head (n = 22) and the papilla of Vater (n = 7). Using flow cytometry, authors measured the nuclear DNA content of tumor cells. DNA ploidy status was evaluated from paraffin-embedded tumor tissues. Fourteen DNA diploid and eight DNA-aneuploid pancreatic carcinomas occurred. Six DNA diploid and one DNA-aneuploid tumors were diagnosed in the group of papilla of Vater. Mean survival of patients with the carcinoma of pancreatic head was 9.3 months. Survival of the patients with the cancer of papilla of Vater was 20.5 months. The mean survival was 10 months in case of DNA-diploid pancreatic carcinoma, and it was 8 months in case of DNA-aneuploid cancer. The survival of the patients with DNA* diploid Vater papilla tumor was 17 months, and it was 40 months with the DNA-aneuploid cancer. The mean proliferative index (PI) of DNA-diploid pancreatic cancers was 9.7%, whereas that of the DNA-aneuploid cases was 13.3%. The mean PI of DNA-diploid tumors of papilla of Vater was 7.5% and that of the DNA aneuploid cases was 28%. There was no significant correlation between the PI and the survival. DNA-ploidy status and PI had no significant effect on the survival in patients with carcinoma of the pancreatic head region.