ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Surgery for locally advanced pancreatic cancer with arterial involvement of the hepatic artery, coeliac trunk and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is highly controversial. In a retrospective review, the benefits and harms of arterial en bloc resection (AEBR) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma with arterial involvement were analysed. METHODS: Patients were divided into three groups: 29 patients who had pancreatic resection and AEBR (group 1), 449 who had pancreatic resection with no arterial resection or reconstruction (group 2), and 40 with unresectable tumours who underwent palliative bypass (group 3). RESULTS: Eighteen patients underwent reconstruction of the hepatic artery, eight of the coeliac trunk and three of the SMA. Additional reconstruction of portal vein was required in 15 patients and of adjacent visceral organs in 19. Perioperative morbidity and mortality rates were higher in group 1 than in group 2 (P = 0·031 and P = 0·037 respectively). Additional portal vein resection was an independent predictor of morbidity (P < 0·001). Median overall survival was similar for groups 1 and 2 (14·0 versus 15·8 months; P = 0·152), and lower for group 3 (7·5 months; P = 0·028 versus group 1). CONCLUSION: In selected patients AEBR can result in overall survival comparable to that obtained with standard resection and better than that after palliative bypass. Nevertheless, AEBR is associated with significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates, counterbalancing the overall gain in survival and limiting the overall oncological benefit.