Temporal Trends in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common malignancies of the digestive system and, depending on the geographic area, fourth or fifth leading cause of cancer deaths (Lillemoe et al, 2000; Simon & Printz, 2001). Between 1960 and 1980, the incidence rates had increased significantly in most industrialised countries, including Poland. Corresponding 5-year survival rates demonstrated only slight variations and remained stable at about 1-3%. Surprisingly, results obtained from some population databases suggest that only about 30% of patients registered as pancreatic cancer have been adequately verified by histopathology (Wood et al, 2006). Moreover, since many studies included only small groups of patients, previous reports did not properly reflect the actual changes, including long-term results of treatment (Gudjonsson, 1995). As incidence rates were relatively high and the efficacy of therapeutic methods was questionable, pancreatic cancer was subject to numerous clinical trials (Jafari & Abbruzzese, 2004). However, no clear conclusions could be drawn in terms of the best therapeutic approach due to marked differences between individual studies (Gudjonsson, 1995).