Bp. Van Rees et al., Remote partial gastrectomy as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer: Potential for preventive strategies, ANN ONCOL, 10, 1999, pp. 204-207
Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death ma
inly because of an advanced disease stage at the time of diagnosis. Patient
s with a remote partial gastrectomy for benign ulcer disease may constitute
a high risk group for pancreatic cancer; an increased index of suspicion c
ould potentially lead to early detection in these patients.
Methods: The risk of developing pancreatic cancer following partial gastrec
tomy was evaluated by reviewing the literature. Furthermore, the risk of pa
ncreatic cancer in an Amsterdam cohort of 2633 postgastrectomy patients has
recently been assessed. The presence and type of K-ras codon 12 mutations
in 15 postgastrectomy pancreatic cancer cases were also determined and comp
ared to the conventional spectrum of these mutations in sporadic pancreatic
cancer.
Results: After a follow-up time of 20 years or mote since peptic ulcer surg
ery, the relative risk reported in the literature varies from 1.65 to 5-fol
d. In the Amsterdam cohere of 2633 postgastrectomy patients an overall incr
eased risk of 1.8 was observed. The risk gradually increases to 3.6 after a
postoperative interval of 35 years or more. A comparable frequency and typ
e of K-ras codon 12 mutations was found in the postgastrectomy pancreatic c
ancer cases as reported in sporadic pancreatic cancer in non-operated patie
nts, suggesting a similar carcinogenesis in the two groups and indicating a
potential utility of this molecular marker for surveillance strategies.
Conclusions: Patients who underwent peptic ulcer surgery are at higher risk
of developing subsequent pancreatic cancer, especially after a prolonged (
> 20 yrs) postoperative interval. An increased index of suspicion may contr
ibute to early detection in these patients. The similar K-ras codon 12 muta
tion pattern in conventional and postgastrectomy pancreatic cancers makes t
his a suitable target for molecular diagnosis in these patients.