Clinical implications of young-onset pancreatic cancer patients after curative resection in Korea: a Korea Tumor Registry System Biliary Pancreas database analysis

Abstract

Introduction This study evaluated the clinical characteristics and survival rate after curative resection of young age pancreatic cancer patients using Korea Tumor Registry System Biliary Pancreas (KOTUS-BP) Database analysis.

Methods We compared demographics and clinical outcomes in patients under the age of 50 years (young age group) and those over the age of 65 years (standard group) between 1991 and 2017. We estimated the survival curve using the Kaplan–Meier method and the hazard ratio using the Cox proportional hazard model and 1:4 propensity matching analysis.

Results A total of 2470 patients were analyzed, including 2091 in the standard group and 379 in the young age group. Survival analysis showed a better overall survival in the recently enrolled patients (2011–2017) in both the young age and standard groups (p = 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). Between 2011 and 2017, recurrence-free survival was shorter in the young age group (p = 0.02), but the overall survival was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.94).

Conclusions Young-onset pancreatic cancer patients had more advanced stages at the time of diagnosis; however, the overall survival of both the young age and standard groups was similar due to adjuvant treatment after operation.