Abstract
Introduction
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a common malignancy. While inflammation-related biomarkers influence patient survival after resection, it has not been known whether postoperative inflammations affect the survival of PDAC patients or not.
Methods
It was investigated whether the universal biomarkers on postoperative day (POD) 7 affect the survival of PDAC patients in the retrospective view, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed via the Cox regression method.
Results
Overall, 108 consecutive patients underwent resection; 98 (90.7%) had T3 disease and 73 (67.6%) had lymph node metastases. Thirty-four patients (31.5%) experienced postoperative complications. Compared with preoperative values, the white blood cell count and C-reactive protein (CRP) level on POD 7 were significantly elevated (P < .001 for both); conversely, the lymphocyte count was significantly reduced (P < .001). Among 108 patients, 72 received adjuvant chemotherapy. The median overall survival was 21.0 months; the 5-year survival rate was 22.3%. On multivariate analysis, receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and low CRP levels on POD 7 (<7.6 mg/dL) were prognosticators of better survival. However, the CD classification was not a prognosticator of survival after resection.
Conclusions
Adjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative low CRP levels on POD 7 were prognosticators of better survival of PDAC patients after resection. Surgeons should be aware of managing postoperative infections because a high postoperative CRP level is related with unfavorable survival.
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