Pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer: The Verona experience

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the Western world. The current treatment is multimodal, and in resectable patients radical surgery represents the key-step toward long-term survival. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the most widely performed operation, because the majority of ductal carcinomas arise in the head of the pancreas. Once considered extremely hazardous, PD has evolved into a safe procedure, with mortality below 5% and morbidity rates in the range from 20% to 60% at high-volume centers. Verona is regarded as one of the most prominent institutions for pancreatic surgery in Europe. More than 5500 patients with pancreatic diseases have been managed, and the surgical case load has increased substantially, with more than 1350 PDs performed. This review discusses this center's experience in surgical treatment of pancreatic head cancer. Furthermore, the preliminary results of radiofrequency thermal ablation of locally advanced ductal cancer are presented.