A Case of Mucin-producing Pancreatic Cancer with Long-term Survival Following Operation

Takumi Tamura, Keizo Chikaishi, Hisao Wakabayashi, Takashi Maeba, Satoshi Tanaka

First Department of Surgery, Kagawa Medical School

A case of mucin-producing pancreatic cancer with long-term survival is reported. The patient, a 59-year-old woman, complained of general fatigue and thirst. ERCP revealed typical findings of Vater's papilla and filling defects in the dilated main pancreatic duct. Total pancreatectomy was performed under the diagnosis of so-called mucin-producing pancreatic cancer. A papillomatous tumor was observed macroscopically in the main pancreatic duct of the pancreatic head. Histologically, the tumor was non-invasive papillary adenocarcinoma and no lymph node metastasis was observed. The patient has been living without any specific restriction in daily life and with no signs of recurrence for 5 years after the operation. Because of the pathological features of this tumor, it is difficult to determine the spread of the tumor even at the operation and there are many controversies about the surgical margin. However, since the tumor has a better prognosis than ordinary pancreatic cancer and there is a possibility of long-term survival, it is necessary to select the most appropriate surgical resection including total pancreatectomy.

Key words
mucin-producing pancreatic cancer, long-term survival, total pancreatectomy

Reprint requests
Takumi Tamura First Department of Surgery, Kagawa Medical School
1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kida-gun, 761-07 JAPAN

Accepted
February 12, 1992

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