Follow-up studies of radical resection for pancreaticoduodenal cancer.

In a study of 66 patients with pancreaticoduodenal cancer with pancreaticoduodenectomy, there were five (7.5%) hospital deaths. Five-year survival rates were 7.8% in 20 patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, 16.7% in 31 patients with carcinoma of the bile duct, and 38.5% in 15 patients with carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. Fecal fat loss measured was 10 g or less per day in nine of 12 patients. Of the 19 patients having glucose tolerance tests, 13 showed abnormalities including the two who were diabetic. Operative findings which were indicative of a poor prognosis included lymph node metastases, macroscopic invasion of the tumor into the pancreatic capsule in patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, the size of the tumor in those with carcinoma of the common bile duct, and direct invasion of the lesion into the pancreas in patients with carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.