Background: Recurrence after resection of pancreatic cancer occurs in up to 80% of patients in the first 2 years after complete resection. While most patients are not eligible for surgical treatment due to disseminated disease, a certain group of patients can be evaluated for re-resection of local recurrence. This review summarizes the current literature on surgical treatment of recurrent pancreatic cancer and potential prognostic factors.
Summary: Re-resection of recurrent pancreatic cancer provides a significant survival benefit to selected patients with acceptable procedure-related mortality. Median overall survival after re-resection of recurrent pancreatic cancer is up to 28 months. The most relevant clinical parameters associated with a prognostic benefit are young patient age (<65 years), time to initial resection (>10 months), and preoperative chemotherapy before re-resection. Molecular markers are currently under investigation and might help to improve patient selection in the future.
Key message: Re-resection of recurrent pancreatic cancer is safe and feasible in experienced hands. Selected patients benefit from surgical treatment, but future studies are needed to identify reliable prognostic markers predicting survival.
Keywords: Chemotherapy; Local recurrence; Pancreatic cancer; Prognostic factors; Surgical resection.
Copyright © 2021 by S. Karger AG, Basel.