Objective To study the early diagnosis and the prognosis of carcinoma of the head of pancreas(CHP) and to determine the sensitivity of various detecting methods. Methods Data of preoperative diagnosis and prognosis in 22 patients with early stage of CHP and 168 patients with advanced CHP treated in our department in recent 15 years were retrospectively analyzed and compared. Results The early stage of CHP revealed no specific symptom. In early stage of CHP,the diagnlstic rate was 88.9%, detecting rate of cancer cells in pancreatic juice with ERCP was 88.4%, The sensitivity of needling cytologic examination during operation was 91.7%,the resection rate was 90.9%, 3years survival rate was 36.4%.Those were significantly higher than those in advanced CHP. Conclusions B mode ultrasonography and CT are the first choice of diagnosis for early stage of CHP. ERCP and selective celiac artery angiography can promote diagnostic rate. Searching carcinoma cells in pancreatic juice collected by ERCP and needling cytologic examination during operation can further improve the early diagnostic rate.In patients with early stage of CHP,the resection rate and post operation cure rate are significantly higher than those in patients with advanced CHP.