Distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection for pancreatic body-tail cancer: Is it justified?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) for pancreatic body-tail cancer. The medical records of 12 patients who underwent DP-CAR for pancreatic body-tail cancer were retrospectively studied, together with a literature review of studies including at least 3 cases of DP-CAR. There were no deaths among our 12 cases. Postoperative morbidity developed in 9 cases and was successfully managed by non-surgical treatment. No patients developed ischemic complications. Median overall survival was 10 months. A total of 19 studies involving 203 patients who underwent DP-CAR were included in the literature review. The overall morbidity and mortality rates were 50.2% and 3.0%, respectively. The overall median survival after surgery ranged from 9.3 to 26 months. DP-CAR is a safe and effective treatment for patients with locally advanced pancreatic body-tail cancer.