BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated a reduction in the morbidity and mortality of pancreatic resection and improvement in the actuarial 5-year survival for @entity1 with resected @entity420 . We reviewed the clinico-pathological characteristics of @entity1 who underwent resection with curative intent for @entity420 of the pancreas between 1980 and 1993. METHODS: Resection with curative intent was performed on 236 of 1368 @entity1 (17%) with @entity788 admitted to the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Clinical, demographic, treatment, and pathological variables were analysed. The original pathological report for all cases was reviewed; @entity5 were excluded. The head of the gland was the predominant @entity5 site (n = 204), followed by the body (n = 18), and tail (n = 14). Seventy-two percent of the @entity1 underwent pancreaticoduodenectomies, 15% underwent total pancreatectomies, 10% underwent distal pancreatectomies, and 3% underwent distal subtotal pancreatectomies. RESULTS: Operative mortality was 3.4%. Median survival was 14.3 months after resection compared with 4.9 months if @entity1 did not undergo resection (p < 0.0001). Twenty-four @entity1 survived 5 years after surgery (10.2% overall actual 5-year survival rate). Six of the @entity5 were well differentiated, 10 were moderately differentiated, and 8 were poorly differentiated. Extra-pancreatic invasion occurred in 18 cases (75%), and perineural invasion was present in 20 cases (83%). Ten @entity5 exhibited invasion of duodenum, ampulla of Vater, and/or common bile duct, and another 2 @entity5 invaded the portal vein. Lymph node involvement by @entity189 was noted in 10 cases (42%). Twelve @entity1 remain alive without evidence of disease at a median follow-up of 101 months (range, 82-133 months). Ten @entity1 died of recurrent or metastatic @entity788 in a period between 60 and 64 months. Two @entity1 died at 82 and 84 months respectively, of @entity2 without evidence of recurrent @entity660 . CONCLUSIONS: This paper emphasises the grim prognosis of @entity1124 . Five-year survival cannot be equated to cure. Although pancreatectomy offers the only chance for long-term survival, it should be considered as the best palliative procedure currently available for the majority of @entity1 . This emphasises the need for the development of novel and effective adjuvant therapies for this disease.

XXXX : resection outcome at the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity788 :: ('MESH:D010190', 'Disease') :: ['pancreatic cancer'] @entity1124 :: ('MESH:D021441', 'Disease') :: ['pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['non-ductal cancers', 'tumours', 'tumour'] @entity2 :: ('MESH:D008175', 'Disease') :: ['metastatic lung cancer'] @entity660 :: ('MESH:D010182', 'Disease') :: ['pancreatic disease'] @entity189 :: ('MESH:D002277', 'Disease') :: ['carcinoma'] @entity420 :: ('MESH:D000230', 'Disease') :: ['ductal adenocarcinoma']
@entity788 :: (MESH:D010190,Disease) :: ['Carcinoma of the pancreas']
