[Pancreatic tumors--pessimism, optimism or realism?].

Among 35 patients with the preoperative diagnosis of a tumour of the head of the pancreas who had a radical operation at the Surgical Clinic of the Second Medical Faculty Charles University in Prague-Motol between January 1995 and March 1998 a malignant tumour was confirmed in 24 instances. Another nine patients had a histological finding of chronic pancreatitis and the remaining two patients a benign cystadenoma of the pancreas. The 30-day mortality in the whole group is 5.7% (2/35). Both deaths within 30 days after surgery were due to massive haemorrhage into the upper GIT in patients with pancreatic cancer. The haemorrhage developed within 21 and 30 days after surgery. The source of haemorrhage was not proved unequivocally, neither clinically nor post mortem. Obviously late haemorrhage from some gastrointestinal anastomosis was involved. From a total of 24 patients after Whipple's operation on account of a malignant tumour of the head of the pancreas nine died. The mean survival period was seven months after surgery. Fifteen patients survive and after a mean follow-up period of 14 months the median of survival calculated to the date of March 31 1998 is 17 months for stage UICC I and five months for stage UICC III. Because of the short follow-up period the results cannot be compared properly with data in the contemporary literature but they are promising for further work in this sphere of surgery and evidence that it is correct to refute the nihilist view held in the past. Hitherto achieved therapeutic results in this country and abroad certainly do not justify yet an optimistic view as regards the perspective of patients with carcinoma of the pancreas.