Standard Kausch-Whipple pancreatoduodenectomy

Despite the increasing number of clinical trials in pancreatic cancer there are no widely accepted definitions of different types of resection for pan creatic cancer. An agreed definition of the standard Kausch-Whipple pancrea toduodenectomy was derived by a group of international experts at a meeting in Castelfranco Veneto, Italy, in May 1998, The lymph node groups to be re moved en bloc with the pancreatoduodenectomy and described using the Japane se Pancreas Society classification were as follows: 13a and 13b; 17a and 17 b; 12b1, 12b2 and 12c; and 14a and 14b, Limited segmental major venous rese ction and adjacent organ resection, if required, may be included as part of a standard pancreatoduodenectomy. The pylorus-preserving procedure also ma y be included as part of standard resection, but not for tumours of the ant erior-superior part of the head of the pancreas. Wider adoption of the defi nition of standard Kausch-Whipple resection will enable a more objective co mparative analysis of the radicality of resection between institutions and permit a more coherant analysis on the type of surgery undertaken in multic entre adjuvant studies.