Long-term adjuvant chemotherapy after resection for pancreatic cancer patients with positive peritoneal lavage cytology

• DOI: 10.1007/s00423-023-02906-4
• Publication Date: 2023-04-27T13:02:53Z
• Authors: Katsuhisa Ohgi; Teiichi Sugiura; Yukiyasu Okamura; Ryo Ashida; Mihoko Yamada; Shimpei Otsuka; Akiko Todaka; Katsuhiko Uesaka
• Keywords: Pancreatic Neoplasms; Pancreatectomy; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Humans; Peritoneal Lavage; Cytology; Prognosis; 3. Good health; Retrospective Studies

The significance of resection for pancreatic cancer with positive peritoneal lavage cytology (CY +) remains controversial, and the lack of evidence concerning adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in these patients remains an issue. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic impacts of AC and its duration on the survival outcome in patients with CY + pancreatic cancer.A total of 482 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatectomy between 2006 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The overall survival (OS) was compared among the patients with CY + tumors according to the duration of AC.Among the resected patients, 37 (7.7%) had CY + tumors: 13 received AC for > 6 months, 15 received AC for ≤ 6 months and 9 did not receive AC. The OS of 13 patients with resected CY + tumors who received AC for > 6 months was comparable to that of 445 patients with resected CY- tumors (median survival time 43.0 vs. 33.6 months, P = 0.791), and was significantly better than that of 15 patients with resected CY + tumors who received AC for ≤ 6 months (vs. 16.6 months, P = 0.017). The duration of AC (> 6 months) was an independent prognostic factor in patients with resected CY + tumors (hazard ratio 3.29, P = 0.005).Long-term AC (> 6 months) may improve postoperative survival in pancreatic cancer patients with CY + tumors.