Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas - outcome following different modes of treatment

• Published in: Annals of gastroenterology Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 213 - 217
• Main Authors: Björk Werner, Josefin, Sturesson, Christian, Dawiskiba, Sigmund, Andersson, Roland
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology 2011
• Subjects: Original; chemotherapy; pancreas; mucinous cystadenocarcinoma; outcome; surgery
• ISSN: 1108-7471; 1792-7463

Mucinous cystadenocarcinomas (MCAC) of the pancreas are rare tumors. When localized to the pancreas alone, surgical resection is mostly associated with a favorable prognosis. The potential value of palliative treatment with chemotherapy for irresectable disease is scarcely described though. The aim of this study was to describe a single-center series of patients with MCAC of the pancreas focusing on the outcome following different treatment strategies. 15 patients, 10 females and 5 males, with histologically or cytologically verified MCAC, were divided into three groups: surgical resection (n=7), chemotherapy (n=5) and no treatment (n=3). There was no obvious difference in gender distribution between the subgroups. A tendency towards higher age was seen in the group without treatment, as was a larger tumor size as compared to the chemotherapy group. Patients were administered chemotherapy and the group without treatment seemed to present with the same prevalence of metastatic disease (3/5 and 2/3, respectively). All patients in the group without treatment died after in median 1 month following pathological diagnosis. One patient in the chemotherapy group was alive at 9-month follow up, and the others survived a median of 11 months. In the surgically treated group, 4/7 were alive at follow-up of a median of 154 months. Of the three deceased patients who had survived 44, 53 and 151 months, respectively, two had microscopically non-radical resection. MCAC of the pancreas is, when locally confined and without metastases, associated with fairly good prognosis after surgical resection. In inoperable patients and for metastatic disease, outcome is poor.