ISOLATED PORTAL-VEIN INVOLVEMENT IN PANCREATIC ADENOCARCINOMA - A CONTRAINDICATION FOR RESECTION

Objective This study was designed to examine the morbidity, mortality, and survival of patients undergoing portal vein resection (PVR) for a denocarcinoma of the pancreas. Summary Background Data Inability to se parate the pancreas from the portal Vein has historically been a locor egional contraindication for resection in patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, and frequently, isolated local invasion of the porta l vein is the only obstacle to curative resection. Methods A review of the prospective database for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas at Memori al Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center identified 332 patients who underwent pancreatic resection. Of those, 58 (17%) were identified as having is olated clinical involvement of the portal Vein and underwent pancreati c resection with PVR. Patients undergoing curative pancreatic resectio n without PVR over this same time period comprise the control group. R esults The 5% in-hospital mortality rate for PVR was not significantly different from that seen in those patients who did not undergo PVR (3 %). Overall median survival for the PVR group was 13 months (range, < 1-109 months), which was not statistically different from those patien ts undergoing pancreatic resection without PVR (17 months (range, < 1- 132months). Conclusions These results suggest that suspected isolated portal vein involvement should not be a contraindication for pancreati c resection in patients with adenocarcinoma.