Surgical treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer localized in the pancreatic body and tail (report of 11 cases).

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of radical resection for pancreatic cancer localized in the pancreatic body and tail. Methods: From 2009 to 2013, 11 patients with pancreatic cancer localized in the body and tail were treated with sequential radical resection of the tumor and postoperative chemotherapy, and closely followed up. Results: Among the 11 patients, 7 received R0 resection, 4 received R1 resection. In the rest 2 patients, the tumor was removed together with the involved celiac artery and common hepatic artery. There were no postoperative complications, except second surgery for postoperative ischemic necrosis of the gastric antrum in 1 case, and wound infection in another patient. Nine of the 11 patients underwent cyclic chemotherapy with gemcitabine. Abdominal pain was relieved in all postoperative patients. The postoperative median survival time was 28 months, and 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 81.8% and 36.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Combination of surgical removal of the tumor with adjuvant chemotherapy can achieve better survival and significantly improve the patients’ quality of life.