Effect of different treatment methods on survival in patients with pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE To assess the benefit of treatment modalities on the survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eighty-five patients with pancreatic cancer were treated by surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and combined therapy. The data was reviewed retrospectively and the benefit of various treatment methods to the median survival time of the patients was assessed. RESULTS Median survival time of the patients diagnosed with local disease treated by radical resection and adjuvant treatment was 21.5 months; with radical resection only--12.6 months (p = 0.6). In patients with locally advanced disease and treated by radical resection and adjuvant therapies the median survival time was 12.1 months and by radical resection only 7.7 months (p = 0.6). For patients treated by palliative surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy median survival was 8.8 months and by palliative surgery alone 1.8 month (p = 0.015). 1-year actual survival of patients treated with radical resection and adjuvant therapies was 11.7%. For patients with radical resection only--10.5%. 3-year actual survival for the same groups of patients was 3.5% and 2.3%, respectively. 1-year actual survival of patients treated by palliative methods was 2.3%. CONCLUSIONS Surgery with adjuvant treatment seems to be beneficial for pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. In locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer palliative chemotherapy or radiotherapy statistically significantly improved survival.