[An appraisal of the surgical management of stage I and II cancers of the pancreas].

During the period between 1966 and 1984, 65 patients with duct cell cancer of the head of the pancreas underwent pancreatectomy. Among the 15 cases with tumors less than 2 cm in size, 27% were in stage I, 53% in stage II and 20% in stages III and IV, suggesting that small pancreatic cancer is not compatible with early cancer. Prognosis of cancer of the pancreas was mainly dominated by the stage of the cancer and radicality of the operation. The 5-year survival rate in patients with curative resection in stages I and II was 60%, and prognosis was particularly satisfactory in cases with no, So, Rpo and Vo. In cases of tubular adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, the prognosis was also influenced by the lymphatic, venous, perineural and connective tissue infiltrations. These results substantiate the concept that extended radical pancreatectomy is an indispensable procedure for cancer of the pancreas even in stages I and II.