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. 2018 Sep 12;18(1):139.
doi: 10.1186/s12876-018-0866-z.

Demographic, clinical, and pathological features of early onset pancreatic cancer patients

Chara Ntala  1 , Silvana Debernardi  1 , Roger M Feakins  2 , Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic  3
Affiliations

Demographic, clinical, and pathological features of early onset pancreatic cancer patients

Chara Ntala et al. BMC Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Background: Early onset pancreatic cancer (EOPC), i.e. pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) occurring in patients below 50 years of age, is rare and there is limited information regarding risk factors, molecular basis and outcome. This study aimed to determine the demographic and clinicopathological features and survival figures for EOPC.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients treated at the Royal London Hospital for PDAC between September 2004 and September 2015 was performed. Data on demographics, risk factors, presentation, pathological features, treatment and survival outcome were compared in EOPC and older PDAC patients.

Results: Of 369 PDAC cases identified, 35 (9.5%) were EOPC. Compared to older patients, EOPC patients were more frequently male (71% vs 54%, p = 0.043) and less commonly of British origin (37% vs 70%, p = 0.002). There was no significant difference regarding the prevalence of any of the risk factors known to be associated with older PDAC patients. Fewer EOPC patients presented with resectable disease (23% vs 44%, p = 0.015) and more received adjuvant chemo/radiotherapy (60% vs 46%, p = 0.008). The overall median survival and stage specific survival did not differ significantly between the two groups, although a longer survival for localized disease was seen in EOPC patients (25 months (12.9-37, 95%CI) vs 13 months (10.5-15.5 95%CI) for older PDAC patients).

Conclusions: The EOPC patients had different demographics and were more likely than their older PDAC counterparts to be male. Typically they presented with more advanced disease, received more aggressive treatment, and had on overall similar survival outcome.

Keywords: EOPC; Early onset; Pancreatic cancer; Risk factors; Survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study is based on the retrospective examination of the clinical notes and review of histology reports. No patient material was accessed or reviewed. Therefore, obtaining patient consent for use of tissue in such cases is not deemed necessary according to the Human Tissue Act. The study was approved by Queen Mary University of London Review Board and London-Brent Research Ethics Committee (Reference Number: 05/Q0408/65).

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Search Results of London Royal Hospital archives from 18/09/2004 to 18/09/2015. aCP: Chronic Pancreatitis, bAP: Autoimmune Pancreatitis; cPanIN: Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia; dIPMN: Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm; eMCN: Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm; fPDAC: Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma; gNS: unknown or not specified; hNETs: Neuroendocrine tumours (glucagonoma, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, etc); kSPN: Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm; lMCAC: Mucinous Cystadenocarcinoma; mother: serous cystadenoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, adenosquamous, signet ring cell carcinoma, mixed ductal-neuroendocrine carcinoma, lymphomas (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma); nEOPC: Early Onset Pancreatic Cancer
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Kaplan Meier overall survival curve in EOPC and older PDAC patients. (y- axis: Cum Survival (cumulative survival), x-axis: time in months)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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