The role of extended radical operation for pancreatic cancer

Background/Aims: To clarify the indication of extended operation for pancre atic carcinoma, a clinical study was carried out. Methodology: From July 1981 to 1999, 196 of 307 (63.8%) patients with pancr eatic carcinoma underwent resection of the tumor. Portal vein resection was performed in 145 of these 196 (74.0%) resected cases. The postoperative su rvival rate was studied according to the operative and histopathological fi ndings. Results: In spite of the aggressive surgery, there was no patient who survi ved over 3 years after operation in the group carcinoma-positive on the sur gical margins. Patients who survived over 3 years postoperatively were obse rved in the group of carcinoma-free surgical margins. Conclusions: The most important indication of extended operation combined w ith portal vein resection for pancreatic cancer is to obtain surgical cance r-free margins. There is no indication of extended operation for cases in w hich surgical margins will become cancer-positive, if such an operation is employed.