[Epidemiology of exocrine pancreatic cancer in the Principality of Asturias, 1973-1992]

Abstract

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma continues increasing in frequency, its diagnosis is usually realized very late and the results of the surgery, that is the only possibility of cure, gives often a feeling of frustration. During the period between 1973 and 1992, 1032 patients were diagnosed of pancreatic carcinoma at the different hospital institutions of our region. The incidence has increased from 1.28 to 6.42 cases/100,000. The proportion male/female was 1.5/1. Mean age of the patients was 67.5 +/- 11.35 and the median age was 65 years. In relation with the sex, the women age was higher: 70.2 +/- 11.81 (p < 0.01). The best diagnostic test was the CAT scan with 87.5 sensitivity. The overall resectability rate was low (11%), but there is a large difference between the beginning and the end of the period (6.8% and 14.1% respectively). Staging of the disease was stage IV in 36.4% of the cases. The 66.5% of the patients underwent palliative surgery. Cholecystojejunostomy was the most frequent operation. It wasn't possible any surgical management at the 3.5% of the cases cause of the disease was very extended; laparotomy was the only method used in 18.7%. The average survival rate with exeresis surgery was 18 months; with palliative surgery, it was only of eight months. The natural history of pancreatic carcinoma was situated at 5.57 +/- 2.63.