Elevated amylase in plasma represents an adverse prognostic marker in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic relevance of plasma amylase and lipase concerning survival of patients suffering from metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC). METHOD: This retrospective study included 351 patients with metastatic PC, who were treated in a single academic institution. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. To further evaluate the prognostic significance of lipase and amylase, univariate and multivariate values were calculated using Cox proportional models. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, an increased amylase level was associated with shorter CSS in PC patients (hazard ratio HR = 1.258; 95% confidence interval CI = 1.011–1.566; p = 0.039). In multivariate analysis, including gender, age, CA19-9 and administration of chemotherapy, increased amylase levels prevailed as an independent prognostic factor for CSS (HR = 1.373; 95%CI = 1.004–1.878; p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma amylase was found to be an independent prognostic factor in patients with metastatic PC. The results indicate that amylase might represent a novel and useful marker for better patient stratification in PC management.