Factors affecting survival in operated pancreatic cancer: Does tumor localization have a significant effect on treatment outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the factors affecting survival in operated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and the possible prognostic effect of primary tumor localization on treatment outcomes. METHODS: In this study, 98 patients with curatively-operated PDAC, who were followed up and treated for the years 2008 through 2018, were enrolled. Metastatic and locally advanced stages and patients under 18 years of age were excluded from this study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the primary tumor localization as *head or *body/tail. RESULTS: Sixty-seven (68.3%) patients were male and 31 (31.7%) were female, with a median age of 62 years (range, 35–82 years). The numbers of patients with a primary tumor located in *head vs.*body/tail were 74 (75.4%) vs. 24 (24.6%), respectively. Patients with a primary tumor located in *head vs.*body/tail; median disease-free survival was 16.0 months vs. 13 months (p=0.972), respectively, with corresponding median overall survival was 25 months vs. 33 months (p=0.698). The level of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) at diagnosis (Hazard ratio[HR], 1.09 95%CI, 1.01–1.18), stage III disease (HR, 2.09 95%CI, 1.16–4.35), and receiving adjuvant treatment (HR, 0.20 95%CI, 0.09–4.34) were the independent predictors of survival. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that high levels of CEA at diagnosis and stage III disease adversely affected the survival in non-metastatic PDAC patients, while receiving adjuvant therapy had a positive effect on survival. The findings suggest that primary tumor localization did not affect survival in operated PC patients. The results on this issue are still inconsistent and under debate in the literature.