To better understand determinants of survival after pancreatic cancer (PC) surgery to improve outcomes.
A series of cohort studies.
PC is a highly fatal disease with a 5-year survival of 10%. Surgery is the only chance for long-term survival, and patients undergoing surgical treatment have a 5-year survival of ~25%. However, PC surgery is a major procedure with a substantial risk of postoperative complications (30-50%) and death (2-3%). Around ~20% of patients undergoing curative-intent surgery experiences recurrence within 6 months. In these patients, the surgical procedure can be considered futile, and it is therefore important to thoroughly outweigh risks and benefits prior to surgical treatment. As clinicians, we need improved knowledge on patient-specific expected outcomes after PC surgery.