Pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection for local advanced pancreatic head cancer: a single center retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection remains a controversial approach for patients with local advanced pancreatic head cancer for the lack of evidences of survival and quality of life benefits. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether patients of pancreatic head cancer benefit on quality of life, survival, and treatment cost from pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection compared with palliative therapy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred fourteen patients of pancreatic head cancer whose pancreatic head could not be dissected free from adjacent vascular were involved in this study. Eighty of these patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resection, whereas other patients underwent palliative therapy.
RESULTS: Pancreaticoduodenectomy with artery resection offered worse outcomes on almost all aspects of quality of life and survival compared with palliative therapy. Pancreaticoduodenectomy with vein resection offered better 5-year survival compared with palliative therapy, whereas palliative therapy offered better quality of life after surgery.
CONCLUSION: Pancreaticoduodenectomy with artery resection is nonsensical on treatment of pancreatic head cancer with artery adhesion/invasion. As for patients with vein adhesion/invasion, pancreaticoduodenectomy with vein resection should be performed cautiously. When actual vein invasion is very possible to have taken place, the choice of treatment strategy should be considered carefully by the pancreatic surgeons.