DEVELOPMENT OF PANCREATIC-CANCER IN CHRON IC-PANCREATITIS

Whether chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor for the development of p ancreatic cancer is still under discussion. 395 patients operated for chronic pancreatitis with enlargement of the head of the pancreas betw een 1982 and 1994 were evaluated retrospectively. The frequency of pan creatic cancer in pre-existing chronic pancreatitis was 3.8% (n = 15). This frequency was significantly elevated in comparison to the estima ted cancer frequency of the normal population (p < 0.001). The time in terval between first diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and diagnosis o f pancreatic carcinoma was 33.3 month in the mean. 474 patients with p ancreatic carcinoma without pre-existing chronic pancreatitis were ope rated in the same period. Histological examination revealed signs of c hronic obstructive pancreatitis due to tumor obstruction of the main p ancreatic duct in 11.1% (n = 53). The relative risk of patients suffer ing primarily from chronic pancreatitis to develop pancreatic carcinom a is elevated by a factor of more than 50 in comparison to normal popu lation.