Management of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Borderline resectable pancreatic cancers are those that, although technically resectable, are at high risk for margin-positive resection following surgery de novo. Generally, such cancers are characterized by localized primary tumors that involve the mesenteric vasculature to a limited degree and that may require venous or hepatic arterial resection at pancreatectomy. In this article, we review diagnosis and staging algorithms, pretreatment strategies, and multidisciplinary treatment protocols for patients with this stage of disease. The rationale for and results following treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiation and subsequent surgical resection of the primary tumor are described in detail and existing data are reviewed.