Historical evolution of the surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer

Aims: To review the main historical aspects of the treatment evolution of pancreatic cancer. Data source: Literature review through PubMed. Selected articles on the history of pancreatic cancer treatment were included. Summary of findings: Complete surgical resection is the only therapeutic alternative that can offer a cure to patients with pancreatic cancer. However, pancreaticoduodenectomy is one of the most challenging surgical procedures, requiring surgeons with a high level of training for its safe implementation. Several researchers have been involved in the evolution of surgical techniques in pancreatic surgery to reach the levels of safety currently presented by the procedure. Conclusions: Despite the safety with which pancreaticoduodenectomy is currently performed, postoperative survival in pancreatic cancer is still insufficient, suggesting that operative technical issues are just one of the steps needed to improve the outcome. Better screening methods that enable earlier diagnosis of tumors, identification of high-risk patients and improvements in adjuvant treatment are required to increase the cure rate for this neoplasm.