Carcinoma of the pancreas at Groote Schuur Hospital, 1975-1979.

One hundred and seven patients underwent laparotomy for carcinoma of the pancreas at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, during the years 1975-1979. Less than 3% of this group had tumours suitable for curative operations and 27% had advanced disease that precluded even palliative surgery. Although 2 patients are 5-year survivors, the overall prognosis for patients with carcinoma of the pancreas is poor; the average length of survival after diagnosis ranges from 3 to 6 months. Improvement in these dismal statistics may come with earlier diagnosis and accurate selection of patients for curative operations. Although ultrasonography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and other techniques speed diagnosis, most patients with this disease will remain candidates for palliative operation only.