Serum IL-6 and IL-8 Correlate with Prognostic Factors in Ovarian Cancer.

The aim of the study was to correlate serum levels of IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α with clinical, laboratory, and pathological prognostic factors in patients with primary ovarian malignancy. Patients treated at the Pelvic Mass Ambulatory of the Discipline of Gynecology and Obstetrics/Oncology Research Institute (IPON) of the UFTM with confirmed diagnosis of malignant ovarian neoplasia (n = 26) were evaluated. Serum collection was performed preoperatively for the determination of tumor markers. The cytokines IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The prognostic factors were compared using the Mann-Whitney test, with significance level lower than 0.05. When evaluating IL6, it was observed that higher serum levels were associated with overall survival less than 60 months (p = 0.0382). In the evaluation of IL8, higher serum levels were associated with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥ 4 and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) ≥ 200 (p = 0.0198 and p = 0.0072, respectively), altered values of serum CA125 (p = 0.0457), and stage IIIC (p = 0.0486). Therefore, increased levels of IL-6 and IL-8 are associated with factors of worse prognosis in ovarian cancer. Additional studies with a larger sample of patients are needed to confirm the role of cytokines as prognostic factors, in the definition of treatment, and in the development of future target therapies.

Association of pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor expression in ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma with poor prognosis.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor (PAUF) expression is elevated in both ovarian tumors and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, PAUF expression in ovarian tumors according to histologic subtype and grade has not been investigated. In this study, we examined various clinicopathologic features of 24 patients with mucinous cystadenoma (MCA), 36 with mucinous borderline tumors (MBTs), and 46 with mucinous adenocarcinomas (MACs) according to PAUF expression status assessed using immunohistochemistry. We found that MACs more frequently stained positive for PAUF than did MCAs and MBTs (P < 0.0001). Although there was no significant differences with respect to other clinicopathologic characteristics of MACs according to PAUF expression status, patients with PAUF-weakly positive and PAUF-strongly positive MACs tended to have a shorter overall survival (OS) than those with PAUF-negative MAC, determined using a Kaplan-Meier analysis (P = 0.1885). After adjusting for various clinicopathologic parameters, PAUF positivity of MACs was a significant predictive factor for disease-free survival (DFS) (negative vs. weakly positive: P = 0.045, hazard ratio [HR] = 57.406, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.090-3022.596; and negative vs. strongly positive: P = 0.034, HR = 97.890, 95% CI: 1.412-6785.925). In conclusion, PAUF was more frequently expressed in MAC than in its benign and borderline counterparts, and was associated with a poor OS and DFS in MAC patients. Therefore, we suggest that PAUF may be a practical biomarker for histopathological categorization and a prognostic marker for patients with an ovarian mucinous tumor.

[Mucinous ovarian neoplasms. Prognostically mostly excellent, infrequently a wolf in sheep's clothing]. / Muzinöse Ovarialtumoren. Prognostisch meist exzellent, selten Wölfe im Schafspelz.

Mucinous ovarian neoplasms represent the second largest group of epithelial ovarian tumors after serous neoplasms, of which benign cystadenomas constitute more than 80 %. Mucinous cystadenomas and carcinomas cannot be distinguished by the clinical features or the mean age of onset of the disease. They typically occur unilaterally, are confined to the adnexae (FIGO stage I) and clinically present with non-specific abdominal symptoms or are diagnosed by chance. The mean age of disease onset is around 50 years old. The prognosis is excellent. Implants, peritoneal metastases and bilateral occurrence of ovarian mucinous neoplasms should lead to the suspicion of metastasis particularly from a gastrointestinal tumor. Neither microinvasion defined as a maximum extent of invasion of 5 mm, nor intraepithelial carcinoma characterized by high grade atypia without invasion, affect the prognosis of mucinous borderline tumors. Mucinous carcinomas typically show confluent glandular, expansile growth that leads to a labyrinth-like pattern. A destructive infiltrative or nodular growth pattern, however, should lead to the consideration of metastasis. Mural nodules that may reveal a spindle cell sarcomatous or anaplastic carcinomatous pattern occur infrequently in mucinous and do not affect the prognosis. Pax8 positivity is indicative of a primary ovarian neoplasm. In this case, however, mucinous tumors associated with teratomas may show the colonic immunoreaction pattern (CK7-/CK20+/CDX2+). The rare mucinous tumors with endocervical differentiation are now designated as seromucinous tumors and consist of two or more distinct cell types, are frequently associated with endometriosis and seem to show a molecular genetic relationship to endometrioid neoplasms.

[Heterogeneity of epithelial ovarian carcinomas and their clinical significance]. / Heterogenität der epithelialen Ovarialkarzinome und deren klinische Bedeutung.

Epithelial ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological malignant tumors despite improvement of the treatment. Recent molecular studies show that ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease which is reflected by different histologic types. These subtypes differ from their origin, pathogenesis and molecular alterations and can be divided in two major groups. The type I cancer (low grade) evolves from precursor lesions in a step-wise process. In contrast, the type II cancer (high grade) grows rapidly without any identifiable precursors. Among all subtypes is heterogeneity in the biological behavior which has implications in patient prognosis and treatment especially for individualized therapies in the future.

Le cancer épithélial de l'ovaire, malgré des thérapies améliorées, est une des tumeurs gynécologiques ayant une létalité très elevée. De nouvelles études génétiques moléculaires indiquent qu'il s'agit d'une maladie hétérogène, ce qui se reflète également dans les différents types histologiques des tumeurs. Les sous-types diffèrent par leur origine, les voies de développement et des altérations moléculaires et sont divisés en deux types principaux. Le carcinome de type I (low-grade) développe dans graduellement à partir de lésions précancéreuses alors que le carcinome de type II (high-grade), qui se développe rapidement sans lésions précurseurs évidentes. Les sous-types se distinguent par leur comportement biologique, ce qui a des répercussions sur le pronostic et le traitement et sera d'importance pour de futures thérapies personnalisées.

The N-terminally truncated p53 isoform Δ40p53 influences prognosis in mucinous ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The tumor suppressor p53 generates the N-terminally truncated isoforms Δ40p53 and Δ133p53 that possess the ability to modulate p53 function in vitro. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of p53 isoforms in the main histological subtypes of ovarian cancer. METHODS: Δ40p53, Δ133p53, and full-length p53 (FLp53) expression was determined in 45 mucinous, 30 endometrioid, and 91 serous ovarian cancer specimens as well as 42 normal ovarian tissues using reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In a subgroup of mucinous ovarian cancer cases, Δ40p53 expression was examined using Western blot analysis. A functional yeast-based assay and subsequent sequencing were performed to analyze the p53 mutational status. RESULTS: In endometrioid cancer specimens, Δ133p53 expression was significantly lower than in mucinous and serous cases (P = 0.016) or in normal tissues (P = 0.004). Mucinous cancer samples showed elevated Δ40p53 expression as compared with normal ovarian tissues (P = 0.003). In addition, high Δ40p53 expression constituted an independent prognostic marker for recurrence-free but not for overall survival in patients with mucinous ovarian cancer (hazard ratio, 0.267; 95% confidence interval, 0.094-0.756 [P = 0.013]; hazard ratio, 0.453, 95% confidence interval, 0.193-1.064 [P = 0.069]). Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of p53ß and Δ40p53α in a subset of patients with mucinous ovarian cancer. Expression of p53 isoforms was not associated with p53 mutational status or clinicopathologic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: We show that expression of p53 isoforms differs in histological subtypes, thus supporting the hypothesis that histological subtypes represent distinct disease entities. In addition, we provide first evidence for a favorable role of Δ40p53 in patients with mucinous ovarian cancer.

Body mass index as a prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer and correlation with clinico-pathological factors.

OBJECTIVE: To find out if body mass index (BMI) was associated with clinico-pathological features and prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Patients with EOC, who underwent primary surgery and postoperative chemotherapy in the Orebro Medical Region, Sweden, 1994-2003. SAMPLE: A total of 446 patients with stage I-IV EOC, who underwent primary surgery and chemotherapy with information of values of height and weight at the start of chemotherapy were eligible. METHODS: Patients were stratified by BMI according to guidelines set forth by the World Health Organization. Pearson's chi-squared test was used for univariate analyses. The level of statistical significance was p < 0.05. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The survival curves were generated by using the Kaplan-Meier method, and in multivariate analyses the Cox regression model was used with cancer-specific survival as the end point. RESULTS. Of the patients, 5% were underweight (BMI < 18.5), 55% were of ideal body weight (BMI 18.5-25), 25% were overweight (BMI 25-30) and 15% were obese (BMI > 30). Among patients with serous tumors a significant (p = 0.01) worse survival was found in the subgroup of underweight (BMI < 18.5) patients compared with patients in the other BMI groups. In multivariate analysis only FIGO-stage and age were independent and significant prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obese patients did not have worse survival than normal weight and underweight patients. The prognostic impact of BMI on survival was only noted for underweight patients with serous tumors.

Management of suspected pancreatic cystic neoplasms based on cyst size.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation and management of cystic pancreatic neoplasms remain problematic. International consensus guidelines have advised resection for lesions greater than 3 cm. METHODS: We reviewed our prospective pancreatic cystic neoplasm database for outcomes based on a cyst size of 3 cm. RESULTS: Five hundred patients have been managed from 1999 to 2006. There were 349 patients (70%) with cysts less than or equal to 3 cm: 293 (84%) were not operated, including 243 nonmucinous cysts: 2 failed observation (0.8%, mean follow-up of 24 months). Fifty-six patients with cysts less than or equal to 3 cm were initially operated (16%), including 23 asymptomatic patients. Histopathology showed intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) in 20, mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) in 18, and serous cystadenoma in 5. Twelve had carcinoma (21%). A total of 151 patients (30%) had cysts greater than cm: 87 (50%) were not operated, including 68 that were nonmucinous: 2 failed observation (2.9%, mean follow-up of 47 months). Sixty-four patients with cysts greater than 3 cm (42%) were initially operated, and final pathology showed MCN in 27, serous cystadenoma in 11, IPMN in 7, and pseudocyst in 7. Twelve had carcinoma (19%). Patients with cysts less than or equal to 3 cm were less likely to be operated (16 vs 42%; P < .001), less often symptomatic (39 vs 50%; P = .017), while older (mean age, 65 vs 61 years; P = .03). Had patients been managed by size alone, up to 20% would have received inappropriate treatment. Management based on aspiration was significantly better in predicting mucinous neoplasms compared with size (75% vs 57%; P < .001), including asymptomatic patients less than or equal to 3 cm (78% vs 65%; P = .003). CONCLUSION: Size of pancreatic cystic lesions alone is not a reasonable basis for determining management.

Management and outcomes of pancreatic cystic lesions.

The management of pancreatic cystic lesions offers a challenge to clinicians. Mucinous cystic lesions pose a low risk of the development of neoplasia that must be taken into account in long-term management. Although the natural history has not been well defined, it is likely that malignant change in the mucinous epithelium takes place over years, very similar to what is observed with Barrett's esophagus. The traditional therapy of mucinous cystic lesions has been surgical resection. Lesions in the head of the pancreas will require a Whipple resection whereas tail lesions are managed with a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. In patients at high risk for surgical resection, the risk/benefit ratio may be excessively high, not supporting the use of resection therapy. Ethanol ablation therapy has been thoroughly studied in hepatic, renal, and thyroid cysts. Epithelial ablation with ethanol appears to be highly effective and relatively safe. Recently, ethanol ablation has been evaluated in pancreatic cystic neoplasms. In macrocystic lesions between 1 and 5 cm, ethanol lavage will result in epithelial ablation and cyst resolution in a high percentage of patients. Pancreatitis is rarely observed clinically and is not present in resection specimens. A randomised prospective clinical trial is currently underway.

Overview of the clinical problem: facts and current issues of mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas.

Pancreatic cystic lesions are uncommon and consist of pseudocysts, congenital cysts and cystic neoplasms including mucinous cystic neoplasms, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and serous cystic neoplasms. Mucinous cystic neoplasms are large septated cysts without connection to the ductal system, characterised by the presence of thick-walled ovarian-type stroma and mucin. They occur predominantly in women and often are malignant. Therefore, surgical resection is recommended. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms are neoplasms with tall, columnar, mucin-containing epithelium involving the main pancreatic ducts or major side branches. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms occur in men and women in their 60s and 70s and may differentiate into malignant neoplasms. Therefore, surgical resection is mandatory. Serous cystic neoplasms appear as multiple cysts lined with cubic flat epithelium containing glycogen-rich cells with clear cytoplasm. They mainly occur in women in their 50s and are generally benign. Therefore, a conservative approach is recommended. As both mucinous cystic neoplasm and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms have a high malignant potential, it is important to differentiate between the various pancreatic cystic lesions. Several imaging techniques and tumour markers have been evaluated. Nonetheless, definitive guidelines to differentiate between serous cystic neoplasms, mucinous cystic neoplasms and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms are still poorly defined. A number of management issues regarding these neoplasms are still under debate, for example which imaging technique to use, differentiation between malignant or benign lesions and the preferred treatment modality for each pancreatic cystic neoplasm. Further research may lead to a definitive guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of mucinous cystic neoplasms, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and serous cystic neoplasms.

Prognostic significance of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer and matrix metalloproteinase 2 in epithelial ovarian cancer.

AIMS: We investigated the prognostic significance of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) in epithelial ovarian cancer as well as their relation to hyaluronan (HA) expression. METHODS: The expression of EMMPRIN and MMP-2 was analyzed immunohistochemically in 295 primary epithelial ovarian cancer patients and 67 metastases. RESULTS: A low membranous EMMPRIN expression was detected more often in serous tumors than in other types (p < 0.0005) and it was associated with tumors of advanced stage (p = 0.012) or with a large primary residual (p = 0.011). A low expression of MMP-2 in cancer cells was associated with a high histologic grade (grade 3) of the tumor (p = 0.005) and endometrioid type of tumors (p < 0.0005). Stromal MMP-2 expression was significantly associated with strong stromal HA expression (p = 0.002, r = 0.187). In univariate analysis, 10-year disease-related (DRS) and recurrence-free survivals were significantly better when MMP-2 expression in cancer cells was high (p = 0.0057 and p = 0.0467, respectively). DRS was also better when membranous EMMPRIN expression was high (p = 0.013). In multivariate analysis, strong MMP-2 in cancer cells (RR = 1.48, CI = 1.07-2.04, p = 0.017) indicated favorable DRS. CONCLUSION: Our results show that EMMPRIN and MMP-2 in cancer cells are significant indicators of a favorable prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Expression of transmembrane carbonic anhydrases IX and XII in ovarian tumours.

AIMS: Carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes IX and XII have been suggested to play a role in oncogenic processes. The aim of the present study was to investigate CA IX and XII expression in patients with ovarian tumours. METHODS AND RESULTS: A series of ovarian tumours was immunostained for CA IX and XII and the results were correlated with histopathological and clinical parameters. Most cases of borderline mucinous cystadenomas, mucinous cystadenocarcinomas and serous cystadenocarcinomas were moderately or strongly positive for CA IX. In malignant tumours, the staining was most prominent in hypoxic regions. Expression of CA XII was detected in all tumour categories, although the mean staining intensity was weaker than for CA IX in all groups except for clear cell carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: The wide expression of CA IX and XII in ovarian tumours suggests that these isozymes could represent potential targets in ovarian cancer therapy. The expression pattern of CA IX suggests that it could also serve as a useful histopathological marker protein for hypoxia in malignant ovarian tumours.

Mucinous tumors of the ovary: a clinicopathologic analysis of 75 borderline tumors (of intestinal type) and carcinomas.

With the exception of benign cystadenomas, mucinous ovarian tumors are rare and heterogeneous neoplasms. They have been classified as either borderline tumors or carcinomas for almost 30 years. Subsequently, the borderline tumors have been subclassified into endocervical-like and intestinal types. The diagnostic criteria for distinguishing borderline tumors of the intestinal type from mucinous carcinomas have varied, making difficult the interpretation of prognostic information. More recently, a further subdivision of the former tumors into forms with only epithelial atypia and variants with focal intraepithelial carcinoma has been proposed. Consequently, in this study of 41 mucinous borderline tumors of intestinal type and 34 mucinous carcinomas, the former were also subdivided into 30 cases with mild to moderate atypia only and 11 with areas of intraepithelial carcinoma. All 30 purely borderline tumors were stage I tumors, and all 15 with follow-up information (including one case with microinvasion) were clinically benign. All 11 mucinous borderline tumors that had foci of intraepithelial carcinoma were also stage I neoplasms, and none of the eight patients with follow-up data (including one with microinvasive carcinoma) recurred. Thirty-four invasive carcinomas were subclassified into 15 expansile and 19 infiltrative subtypes. All 15 carcinomas with only expansile invasion were stage I; none of the 11 with follow-up data recurred. Three of nine patients with stage I infiltrative carcinomas with follow-up information had a fatal recurrence. Eight of the remaining 10 infiltrative carcinomas had extended beyond the ovary at the time of diagnosis (stages II and III); of the six patients with follow-up data, four died of tumor and two were alive with disease. In stage I carcinomas nuclear grade and tumor rupture correlated with unfavorable prognosis, but less than infiltrative invasion. However, all three fatal tumors were infiltrative carcinomas that had ruptured, and two contained grade 3 malignant nuclei. Combination of infiltrative invasion, high nuclear grade, and tumor rupture is a strong predictor of recurrence for stage I mucinous ovarian tumors. Among the 19 infiltrative tumors, 13 contained foci of anaplastic carcinoma. Of the seven patients with stage I tumors and follow-up data, only one patient whose tumor had ruptured intraoperatively had a fatal recurrence. The presence of anaplastic components in stage Ia (intact) carcinomas did not have an adverse effect in their outcome, even when the undifferentiated carcinomatous elements appeared in the form of mural nodules.

Surgical treatment of intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors of the pancreas.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: IPMT (Intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor of the pancreas) is increasingly recognized. The aim of this study was to investigate the appropriate surgical treatment for these tumors. METHODOLOGY: Between January 1981 and September 1998, 62 patients with IPMT underwent surgery. We retrospectively examined the clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes of the patients. RESULTS: The types of IPMT were as follows: hyperplasia (20); adenoma (31); and carcinoma, both invasive (5) and noninvasive (6). Lymph node metastasis was found in 36% of the carcinomas. The size of mural nodules was more than 3 mm in all adenoma or carcinoma cases, while the percentage of hyperplasia less than 3 mm was 75%. Intraoperative pancreatoscopy and annular array ultrasonography were very useful, because they detected 10 lesions that could not be found by preoperative examinations, such as computed tomography, endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, and endoscopic ultrasonography. All patients underwent surgical resection, including 10 pancreaticoduodenectomies (Whipple's procedure), 10 pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomies, 13 pancreatic head resections with segmental duodenectomies, 17 distal pancreatectomies, 9 segmental resections of the pancreas, 2 duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resections, and 1 total pancreatectomy. No operative or hospital death was observed. The postoperative survival rate at 5 years was 71.6% for carcinoma in IPMT. All of the cases with hyperplasia, adenoma and noninvasive carcinoma survived. Only two of the patients with invasive carcinoma died. CONCLUSIONS: IPMT had a favorable prognosis, as compared with pancreatic duct carcinoma. When selecting a surgical procedure for treating these tumors, it is important to confirm the tumor extent, as well as the diagnosis of invasion or noninvasion. In cases with invasion, radical resection is required. On the other hand, organ-function-preserving procedures should be selected for diseases without invasion.

Clinical presentation of mucin-secreting tumors of the pancreas.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatitis and jaundice secondary to ductal obstruction are common in intraductal papillary mucinous tumors (IPMT) of the pancreas. However, the incidence and severity of the complications of obstruction are not well documented. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical presentation and outcome of 10 patients with IPMT. METHODS: All cases of IPMT diagnosed between 1994 and 1999 were reviewed. RESULTS: Four of the 10 patients developed severe acute illness with systemic complications resulting from ductal obstruction. Three suffered acute cholangitis with sepsis, and 1 developed necrotizing pancreatitis and ARDS. There was 1 postoperative death in a patient with adenocarcinoma. All other patients are alive and well with a median follow-up of 26 months (survival 90%). CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic or common bile duct obstruction in IPMT may result in acute, life-threatening disease. Aggressive surgical therapy is warranted before development of complications of ductal obstruction or progression of tumor occurs.

Clinical and pathologic correlation of 84 mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas: can one reliably differentiate benign from malignant (or premalignant) neoplasms?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the long-term behavior of cystic mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas could be predicted using a novel, precisely defined classification of benign mucinous cystadenomas, noninvasive proliferative cystic mucinous neoplasms, and invasive mucinous cystadenocarcinomas. The primary interest was to obtain long-term follow-up after complete resection to determine the recurrence rates based on this objective classification. BACKGROUND: Current understanding is that all cystic mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas are potentially malignant and that mucinous cystadenomas, when completely removed, are biologically benign. Cystadenocarcinomas are thought to be less aggressively malignant than ordinary ductal adenocarcinoma, but reported recurrence rates vary widely and are unpredictable. METHODS: All patients who underwent "curative" resection for cystic mucinous neoplasms at Mayo Clinic Rochester from 1940 to 1997 were identified. All available pathology slides, gross specimens, and clinical records were reviewed, eliminating patients with inadequate documentation. Neoplasms were reclassified as mucinous cystadenomas, noninvasive proliferative mucinous cystic neoplasms, or invasive cystadenocarcinomas based on specific histologic criteria. RESULTS: Of 84 patients (70 women, 14 men) with cystic mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas, 54 were classified as cystadenomas, 23 as noninvasive proliferative cystic mucinous neoplasms, and only 7 as cystadenocarcinomas. Recurrent disease developed in none of the 77 patients without invasion, but 5 of the 6 patients surviving resection for cystadenocarcinomas died of recurrent cystadenocarcinoma within 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: When the neoplasm is completely resected and subjected to adequate histopathologic examination based on these objective criteria, absence of tissue invasion predicts a curative operation and detailed follow-up may be unnecessary. In contrast, a histologic diagnosis of invasive cystadenocarcinoma portends a dismal prognosis, similar to that of typical ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas have been reported in recent years. The indolent character and favorable prognosis of this neoplasm have been described. METHODS: Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors were classified into main duct type (n = 8) and branch type (n = 28) according to the dominant location of the tumor. This single-institute study examined the clinicopathological features and outcome after surgical resection in patients with intraductal papillary mucinous tumors. RESULTS: The gender, age, tumor size, and prognosis were quite similar for the main duct type and branch type groups. Branch type tumors were more frequently located in the head of the pancreas than were main duct type tumors. Histological examination revealed that 88% of main duct type tumors were adenocarcinomas; however, only 46% of branch type tumors were adenocarcinomas. Five-year survival rates for the patients with all main duct type tumors (n = 8), main duct type adenocarcinoma (n = 7), all branch type tumors (n = 28), and branch duct adenocarcinoma (n = 13) were 100%, 100%, 90.6%, and 90.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors had a favorable prognosis after surgical treatment. A curative pancreatectomy should be indicated for this localized malignant tumor.

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas comprise 2 clinical subtypes: differences in clinical characteristics and surgical management.

HYPOTHESIS: Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors (IPMTs) of the pancreas may be meaningfully construed as representing 2 clinically distinct subtypes: main duct tumors (MDT) and branch duct tumors (BDT). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University hospital from January 1988 through December 1994. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: We reviewed diagnostic findings and late results of surgical treatment in 30 patients with IPMT. RESULTS: The tumor was located in the head of the pancreas more often in BDT than in MDT (65% [11/17] and 23% [3/13], respectively). Of the 13 patients with MDTs, 12 (92%) had intraductal papillary adenocarcinoma (noninvasive and minimally invasive types) and/or carcinoma in situ (carcinoma in situ: low papillary and/or flat tumor cells), and 3 (23%) had stromal invasion. Of the 17 patients with BDTs, 5 (29%) had intraductal papillary adenocarcinoma and/or carcinoma in situ. Two pancreatoduodenectomies and 8 pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomies were performed in 10 of the 17 patients with BDTs, distal pancreatectomy in 7 patients with MDTs, and total pancreatectomy in 4 patients with MDTs. The 5-year survival rates were 47% for MDT and 90% for BDT. Four of 6 patients with MDTs who died had local recurrence. One patient died of liver metastasis and 1 of esophageal cancer. Only 1 patient with BDT of the 2 who died had recurrent disease. CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors may be composed of 2 clinically distinct subtypes: MDTs and BDTs. Initially, although distal pancreatectomy can be recommended for most MDTs, the need for cancer-free margins in this more aggressive type may necessitate total pancreatectomy. Pylorus-perserving pancreatoduodenectomies is recommended for most BDTs, but, because these tumors are more often adenomas, a good prognosis can be expected.