Pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma: A population level analysis of epidemiological trends and prognosis

BACKGROUND: The incidence and mortality of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma (PASC) have received little attention. The goal of our study was to explore the overall epidemiological trend of PASC at the population level. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to collect the incidence, incidence‐based (IB) mortality, and patient details for PASC from 2000 to 2017. The Joinpoint regression tool was used to examine the trends in incidence and IB mortality. The Kaplan–Meier approach was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: We included 815 patients with PASC in the study. The incidence of PASC continuously increased from 2000 to 2017, with an annual percentage change (APC) of 3.9% (95% CI: 2.2%–5.7%, p < 0.05). IB mortality also increased continuously, with an APC of 5.0% (95% CI: 2.5%–7.6%, p < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age, treatment, regional lymph node involvement, and tumor size were independent prognostic factors. Nomograms were created for PASC to predict 1‐ and 2‐year survival probabilities, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and IB mortality of PASC had a sustained and rapid increase, indicating that the preventive and treatment measures for PASC were not ideal. We must identify the significance of this condition as soon as possible, and commit greater attention and resources to PASC research.