Reasonable treatment for pancreatic cancer with respect to its prognosis and quality of life of the patients

In our Department, extended operations including extended lymph node dissection with portal vein resection, has been performed for advanced pancreatic cancer. In this study, we examined the reasonable treatment for pancreatic cancer with respect to prognosis and quality of life of the patients. Ninety-nine patients who underwent resection of pancreatic cancer in our department from 1967 to 1997 were analyzed. We found that extended lymph node dissection contributed to the prolongation of patient survival. Also, local recurrence rate decreased when combined with resection of the portal vein. However, liver metastasis was not inhibited by our isolation method. Pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was recommended for pancreatic head cancer because of its superior outcome with respect to post- operative nutrition and pancreatic function. Extended operation is indicated only for pancreatic cancer at surgical stages I, II, III, and IVa.