Evaluation of gastroenteric bypass for unresectable pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It is controversial as to whether gastroenteric bypass is helpful for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of gastroenteric bypass on dietary intake and the symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction in these patients.

METHODOLOGY

We reviewed the cases of 101 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer surgically treated at the Kobe University Hospital. The effects of gastroenteric bypass were examined by comparing the dietary intake and the symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction on admission, 1 month and 3 months after the operation.

RESULTS

The analyses of dietary intake and the symptoms indicated that the gastroenteric bypass operation was not helpful for most of the patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. Multivariate logistic regression model revealed that dietary intake on admission was the strongest parameter for dietary intake at one month after operation. The patients with a low dietary intake on admission often required a nasogastric tube after the bypass operation, reflecting progression of the disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Gastroenteric bypass had no advantage to improve dietary intake and symptoms for almost all the patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. It was effective only for patients with a high dietary intake without symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction on admission.