Keywords:
Abdomen, Pancreas, Oncology, CT, Contrast agent-intravenous, Computer Applications-Detection, diagnosis, Cancer, Tissue characterisation
Authors:
A. Mazzaro1, G. A. Zamboni1, F. Lombardo2, M. Chincarini1, R. Pozzi-Mucelli1; 1Verona/IT, 2Bolzano/IT
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2018/C-2985
Aims and objectives
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the most common neoplasm of pancreas,
representing 85% of pancreatic malignant tumors,
and it’s the fift most frequent malignancy in the adult.
Its prognosis is very poor,
with an estimated 5-years survival rate of 5%.
The prognosis is related to the fact that most of tumors (95%) are detected in an advanced stage.
The only potential curative tratment available for pancreatic cancer,
when not contraindicated for the advanced stage,
is surgical resection.
Following resection,
the 5-year survival rate of patients ranges from 10 to 25%.
In fact,
despite the application of an apparently curative surgery,
the disease usually recurs.
Ninety-five percent of tumor relapses occur within 2 years from the resection and the most common sites (97%) are intra-abdominal,
especially local recurrence,
hepatic or nodal.
Computed tomography has proven to be the best imaging modality to detect recurrences in follow-up patients.
Despite an estimated frequency of local recurrence of 35-65%,
even after R0 resections,
imaging of local recurrence is little described in the literature.
A major problem in patients with pancreatic cancer is that extensive postoperative changes with scar tissue formation is present after resection in the surgical bed that may be mistaken for disease recurrence.
Accurate detection of recurrent pancreatic cancer after surgery is important for assessing patient prognosis and monitoring the effectiveness of adjuvant therapies,
and for selection of patients who may be candidates for additional therapy.
Purpose of this study was to assess the follow-up CTs of patients with resected adenocarcinoma of the pancreas to compare the features of postoperative fibrosis and of tumor local recurrence.