ABSTRACT
Approximately 27,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 1997. Although the pancreas is the tenth leading site in terms of new cancer diagnoses, the pancreas represents the fourth most common site of cancers causing death. Exocrine malignancies account for 95% of all pancreatic malignancies. Owing to the vague and nonspecific nature of symptoms, these tumors generally present late in their course. In fact, the average time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma is 8 weeks. Thus, less than 10% of patients present with disease confined to the pancreas while nearly 50% have locally advanced disease and 40% have visceral metastases. The overall survival rate for pancreatic cancers has risen from 1% in the 1960s to 5% between 1986 and 1992. To date, site of origin and resectability remain the most important predictors of survival.
