Clinicopathologic Pattern and Outcome of Management of Pancreatic Carcinoma in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most challenging tumor entities worldwide, characterized as a highly aggressive disease with dismal overall  prognosis and an incidence rate equaling mortality rate.

Objective: In order to have an up-to-date data on pancreatic cancer incidence and trend in Nigeria, West Africa, we conducted an epidemiological analytical review of the pattern, management, and management outcome of pancreatic cancer in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Methods: We performed a retrospective hospital-based study in which we analyzed the records of 126 pancreatic cancer patients registered, evaluated, and treated in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, a major referral tertiary Hospital in the south western region of Nigeria, West Africa from January 1999 to January 2013.The data obtained include bio-data, clinical  presentation, treatment and outcome that were analyzed with descriptive statistics using SPSS 22.

Results: During the period of study, 126 patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, with a mean age of 60.2 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1.52:1; other parameters such as a medical history of smoking and alcoholism, tumor site, histological type, as well as the stage of diagnosis were also considered at the time of the enrolment in the study. Our statistical analyses reported a very significant correlation between patients who belonged to the age group of 30–45 years and the advanced stage of diagnosis (based on TNM classification) with P = 0.02.

Conclusion: Pancreatic cancer is increasingly diagnosed in young adults at an advanced stage in the West African sub-region. Most patients present with  advanced condition only amenable to palliative measures. There are significant challenges in the area of diagnosis, screening, treatment and research. The role of public health campaign to educate the populace on the disease and early  presentation cannot be overemphasized.

Keywords: pancreatic cancer, clinicopathologic pattern, Ibadan-Nigeria