Mono-bloc total spleno-pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head carcinoma with portal-mesenteric venous invasion. A prospective randomized study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate, the early and long-term results of mono-bloc spleno-pancreatic and vascular resection for advanced carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, with portal-mesenteric venous invasion. METHODOLOGY: In a prospective, randomized trial, fifty-six patients with advanced carcinoma of the head of the pancreas with vascular invasion were studied. Patients were randomly divided in two groups A and B. Group A patients underwent an en-bloc spleno-pancreatic and vascular resection. Group B patients underwent a palliative gastro-biliary bypass. Patients in both groups were subjected to adjuvant locoregional chemoimmunotherapy, through an arterial catheter introduced into the superior mesenteric artery via a jejunal arterial branch. RESULTS: The 2- and 5-year survival rates for Group A patients were 81.8% and 18.5%. The respective percentages for disease-free survival were 60.6% and 0%. Two-year survival for group B was nil. CONCLUSIONS: Mono-bloc spleno-pancreaticoduodenectomy and regional vascular resection and reconstruction, with adjuvant locoregional chemoimmunotherapy leads to substantial prolongation of survival and optimization of quality of life.