CA19-9 With Two-stage Resection Is Useful for Conversion Surgery in PDAC With Synchronous Oligometastases

Abstract

Background/aim: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with synchronous oligometastases may indicate a surgical benefit after chemotherapy. We investigated whether primary and metastatic resection of PDAC with oligometastases can improve the survival and then explored prognostic factors to identify indications for conversion surgery.

Patients and methods: We reviewed 425 patients with PDAC who underwent pancreatic resection from 2005 to 2019. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed. Two-stage resection was defined as preceding metastasectomy and subsequent primary resection after chemotherapy.

Results: Fifteen patients (3.5%) had synchronous oligometastases. We evaluated the overall survival of the patients with oligometastases and those without metastases. The survival curves almost completely overlapped (median survival time: 35.9 vs. 32.1 months). The univariate Cox regression analysis revealed a normal level of preoperative CA19-9 (p=0.075), two-stage resection (p=0.072), and R0 resection (p=0.064) were likely promising prognostic factors. The combination of a normal level of preoperative CA19-9 with two-stage resection was a significant prognostic factor (p=0.038). In addition, patients with a normal preoperative CA19-9 level and two-stage resection had better survival (46.1 vs. 28.1 months, p=0.026).

Conclusion: The combination of normal preoperative CA19-9 with two-stage resection can be a useful way to identify patients with PDAC and oligometastases for surgical indication.

Keywords: Oligometastases; conversion surgery; two-stage resection.