Korean J Gastroenterol.  2011 Jun;57(6):358-364. 10.4166/kjg.2011.57.6.358.

Clinical Characteristics of Pancreatic Metastases

• Boo SJ
• Kim MH
• Kim YS
• Ryu CH
• Kim HJ
• Park DH
• Lee SS
• Seo DW
• Lee SK
• Kim SC
• Han DJ

• KMID: 1792800
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2011.57.6.358

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Histologically confirmed metastatic pancreatic cancers are infrequent. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical, therapeutic and prognostic features of pancreatic metastases.
METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated stage of primary malignancies, interval between diagnosis of primary tumors and detection of pancreatic metastases, treatment for metastases to the pancreas, survival rate, and prognostic factors in 31 patients with pancreatic metastases.
RESULTS
The mean age at the time of primary cancer diagnosis was 52.4+/-13.2 years. Primary cancers were renal cell carcinoma (n=16), non-small cell lung cancer (n=6), small cell lung cancer (n=3), colorectal carcinoma (n=2), osteosarcoma (n=1), gastric carcinoma (n=1), malignant melanoma (n=1), and thymic carcinoma (n=1). Pancreatic metastases were synchronous in six cases and metachronous in twenty five cases, with median interval time of 40.8 months (range 3-186) between the diagnosis of primary tumor and detection of pancreatic metastases. The median survival after the detection of the metastases was 16 months. In multivariate analysis, non-renal cell carcinoma as primary malignancy and positive symptom related to pancreatic metastases were associated with poor prognosis (hazard ratio [HR], 8.33; 95% CI, 2.1-33; p=0.003, and HR, 4.02; 95% CI, 1.27-12.7; p=0.018).
CONCLUSIONS
Metastatic tumors to the pancreas have to be kept in mind when a patient with pancreatic mass has a history of other malignancy, even if treated several years before. In the absence of widely metastatic disease, aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach may offer the chance of long-term survival in selected patients.

Keyword

Pancreatic metastasis; Carcinoma, renal cell; Survival

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Kaplan-Meier survival curve after detection of pancreatic metastases. The median survival for patients with pancreatic metastases was 16 months.

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  Fig. 2. Survival comparison between patients with pancreatic renal cell carcinoma metastases and patients with pancreatic non-renal cell carcinoma metastases. Renal cell carcinoma as primary cancer was associated with prolonged survival (mean 52 vs. 12 months, p=0.001).

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  Fig. 3. Survival comparison between ≤2 years interval and >2 years interval between diagnosis of primary tumors and detection of pancreatic metastases. The interval of more than 2 years was associated with prolonged survival (mean 51 vs. 14 months, p=0.001).

Reference

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