Cutaneous metastases secondary to pancreatic cancer

AIM: To evaluate prognoses after cutaneous metastases, derived from pancreatic cancer. METHODS: We treated two patients with cutaneous metastases from pancreatic cancer. We reviewed 40 reported patients in addition to our cases and analyzed clinical features of cutaneous metastases from pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: The median survival time (MST) was 5 mo after diagnoses of cutaneous metastases. The cumulative 2-year survival rate was 3.5%. The most frequent site of cutaneous metastases was the umbilicus. The MST of patients who were treated with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) was 6.5 mo, which was statistically longer in comparison to patients without treatment. Prognoses of cutaneous metastases are similar to other metastatic sites from pancreatic cancer. Receiving chemotherapy or CRT was the only prognostic factor of cutaneous metastases from pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSION: The prognoses of cutaneous metastases are similar to other metastatic pancreatic cancers. Receiving chemotherapy or CRT was the only prognostic factor of cutaneous metastases from pancreatic cancer.(C) 2012 Baishideng. All rights reserved.