Frequency of Methods of Local Invasion of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Frequency of Methods of Local Invasion of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Pancreatic cancer often spreads through local invasion into local structures, including fat,
 blood vessels, nerves, and nearby organs (stomach, duodenum, spleen, bile duct). Local
 microscopic invasion is associated with recurrence of pancreatic cancer after pancreatic
 resection, such that even if the original cancer is surgically removed, microscopic areas of
 cancer often remain. Data on the patterns of local invasion by pancreatic cancer have not
 been published. In this study, The investigators hope to investigate the frequency of the
 various methods of local invasion of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This would help the
 investigators better understand how pancreatic cancer spreads, and determine what cancers are
 not resectable.
Pancreatic cancer is the eighth most common malignancy, and the fifth leading cause of
 cancer-related death, in the United States. Unfortunately, patients often present late in the
 course of the disease. Accordingly, the 1- year survival rate is approximately 20%, and the
 5-year survival rate is less than 4%. Even in patients with local disease who are surgical
 candidates, survival at five years remains only 10-25%. Staging for pancreatic adenocarcinoma
 typically utilizes the TNM classification, where "T" represents tumor size, "N" represents
 regional lymph node metastasis, and "M" represents distant metastasis. This type of staging
 can usually only be done after operative resection. Unfortunately, up to 25% of patients are
 found to be unresectable at the time of surgical exploration. This is most often due to local
 invasion or metastatic disease. Local microscopic invasion is associated with recurrence of
 pancreatic cancer after pancreatic resection. Comprehensive data on the patterns of local
 invasion by pancreatic cancer have not been published. The investigators believe that it
 would be beneficial to investigate the frequency of the various methods of local invasion of
 pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A clearer understanding of the natural history of local invasion
 could potentially lead to a better determination of what constitutes unresectability.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Tissue confirmed diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

 -  Underwent surgical resection for adenocarcinoma at the Columbia University Medical
 Center between 2001-2009.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Did not undergo surgery.