OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical features and diagnosis and treatment of uncinate process carcinoma of the pancreas.

METHODSFrom January 1998 to December 2000, 41 patients of pancreas uncinate process carcinoma were retrospectly analysed.

RESULTSUpper abdominal pain accompanied with back pain,weight loss and jaundice were the main symptoms. Thirty-six patients were subjected to regional pancreaticoduodenectomy (RP), 11 to SMV-PV or SMA lateral wall partial resection or partial vascular resection and reconstruction, of which PV reconstruction with PTEE grafts was performed in 2 patients. Two cholecystojejunostomy Roux-en-Y. Alcohol injection was made in the nerve plexus of the trunks of both celic axes and the superior mesenteric artery and regional chemotherapy via chemotherapy pump and liver biopsy in one case. Abdominal exploration was performed in 1 case and no-operation in another. None of the cases died perioperatively. Postoperation survival 2 - 44 months and was 1 the median survival was 11.2 months. Four patients are still alive, the longest surviving have been 44 months. The 1-year and 3-year survival rate was 37.0% and 3.7%.

CONCLUSIONSPancreas uncinate process carcinoma has a tendency to invade adjacent SMV/SMA-PV and is difficult to diagnose early. Since those are related to its location and not to its invading behaviors, the tumon is highly resecable (87.8%).