Evaluation of gastroenteric bypass for unresectable pancreatic cancer

Background/Aims: It is controversial as to whether gastroenteric bypass is helpful for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. This study was de signed to evaluate the effects of gastroenteric bypass on dietary intake an d the symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction in these patients. Methodology: We reviewed the cases of 101 patients with unresectable pancre atic cancer surgically treated at the Kobe University Hospital. The effects of gastroenteric bypass were examined by comparing the dietary intake and the symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction on admission, 1 month and 3 mont hs after the operation. Results: The analyses of dietary intake and the symptoms indicated that the gastroenteric bypass operation was not helpful for most of the patients wi th unresectable pancreatic cancer. Multivariate logistic regression model r evealed that dietary intake on admission was the strongest parameter for di etary intake at one month after operation. The patients with a low dietary intake on admission often required a nasogastric tube after the bypass oper ation, reflecting progression of the disease. Conclusions: Gastroenteric bypass had no advantage to improve dietary intak e and symptoms for almost all the patients with unresectable pancreatic can cer. It was effective only for patients with a high dietary intake without symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction on admission.