Review of standards for reporting results of treatment of exocrine pancreatic cancer.

From January 1989 to June 1992, 263 publications from professional international journals on investigations of results of treatment of exocrine pancreatic cancers were studied. The data on patient's selection were, in two-thirds of the studies, not satisfactory, and histopathological verification were missing or periampullary cancers were included in more than half of them. The number of patients in each study ranged between 5 and 442. The follow-up of at least 2 yr was in one-third of the surgically treated cases. In about every sixth study patients were lost to the follow-up, most often in of surgically treated cases. Complete or partial response to antineoplastic agents were reported in 11%, but in few of them long-term survival were noted. In about 20% of the studies the main comparison was made with historical controls. Measurements of quality of life was done in most studies before treatment, but in fewer afterward. Adverse effects were correctly reported in almost all cases on a short-term basis, but in only 38% in longer follow-ups. The overall data calls for improvement in recording and follow-up of patients treated for pancreatic cancer.