Presentation, treatment and outcome in patients with ampullary tumours.

BACKGROUND: Ampullary tumours are relatively rare, and few large single-centre reports provide information on their treatment and outcome. The aim of this study was to analyse outcome and determine predictors of survival for patients with ampullary tumours treated in a specialist centre.

METHODS: Over an 11-year period, 561 patients were treated for periampullary tumours, 88 of whom had a histologically proven ampullary neoplasm. Prospectively gathered data were analysed to assess predictors of survival.

RESULTS: The overall resection rate was 92 per cent; there were no postoperative deaths. Median survival was 45.8 months for patients with resectable tumours and 8.0 months for those with irresectable disease (P < 0.001). On univariate analysis, age less than 70 years (P = 0.015) and a bilirubin level of 75 micromol/l or less (P = 0.012) favoured long-term survival. Among 70 patients who underwent cancer resection, factors associated with significantly worse long-term survival on univariate analysis included poorly differentiated tumour (P < 0.001), positive nodes (P < 0.001), perineural invasion (P = 0.001) and invasion of the pancreas (P = 0.018). Multivariate analysis identified positive nodes and bilirubin concentration as independent predictors of survival.

CONCLUSION: An aggressive surgical approach to ampullary tumours is justified by the low proportion of benign lesions, the absence of postoperative mortality and improved long-term survival.