Surgical Complications in Patients with (borderline) Resectable Pancreatic Cancer after Neoadjuvant Therapy in the PREOPANC-2 Randomized Controlled Trial

  • Esther N Dekker
  • , Rutger T Theijse
  • , Jacob L van Dam
  • , Quisette P Janssen
  • , Thomas F Stoop
  • , Bert A Bonsing
  • , Koop P Bosscha
  • , Stefan A W Bouwense
  • , Olivier R Busch
  • , Peter-Paul L O Coene
  • , Casper H J van Eijck
  • , Erwin van Her Harst
  • , Ignace H J T de Hingh
  • , Tom M Karsten
  • , Geert Kazemier
  • , Marion B van der Kolk
  • , Mike S L Liem
  • , J Sven D Mieog
  • , Vincent B Nieuwenhuijs
  • , Gijs A Patijn
  • Hjalmar C van Santvoort, Jennifer M J Schreinemakers, Roeland F de Wilde, Fennie Wit, Babs M Zonderhuis, Marjolein Y V Homs, Geertjan van Tienhoven, Johanna W Wilmink, Marc G Besselink, Bas Groot Koerkamp*, Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Group, J.M.P.G.M. de Vos-Geelen, Ruth Willems
*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence of major surgical complications between patients with (borderline) resectable pancreatic cancer treated with neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX versus neoadjuvant gemcitabine-based chemoradiotherapy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There are ongoing concerns regarding the possible adverse impact of neoadjuvant treatment on postoperative complication rates following pancreatectomy. METHODS: This study was a predefined analysis within the investigator-initiated nationwide randomized controlled PREOPANC-2 trial. Patients with (borderline) resectable pancreatic cancer were randomized to receive neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX (FFX group) or neoadjuvant gemcitabine-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT group), both followed by surgery, and adjuvant gemcitabine only in the CRT group. Surgical complications including postoperative pancreatic fistula, postpancreatectomy hemorrhage, bile leakage, postoperative interventions, and 90-day mortality were compared, with major complications defined as Clavien-Dindo grade =3. RESULTS: Between June 5, 2018, and January 28, 2021, in total 375 patients were randomized, of whom 280 (74.7%) underwent pancreatic resection. A pancreatoduodenectomy was performed in 238 patients (85.0%), left pancreatectomy in 41 patients (14.6%), and total pancreatectomy in one patient (0.4%). The incidence of major surgical complications was similar between the FFX and CRT groups (26.8% versus 27.5%, P=0.884). No differences were observed in the risk of postoperative pancreatic fistula grade B/C (9.9% versus 4.4%, P=0.076), postpancreatectomy hemorrhage grade B/C (7.7% versus 3.6%, P=0.137), bile leakage grade B/C (2.5% versus 2.5%, P>0.999), and postoperative interventions (26.1% versus 26.8%, P=0.886). Surgical reoperation was performed in nine patients (6.3%) in the FFX group and eight patients (5.8%) in the CRT group (P=0.850). The postoperative 90-day mortality was 1.4% in the FFX group (2/142 patients) and 2.9% in the CRT group (4/138 patients) (P=0.442). CONCLUSIONS: In the PREOPANC-2 randomized trial, the risk of major surgical complications after pancreatic resection following neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX or neoadjuvant gemcitabine-based chemoradiotherapy was similar with an overall low 90-day mortality.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAnnals of Surgery
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 12 Aug 2025

Keywords

  • PDAC
  • PREOPANC-2
  • RCT
  • investigator-initiated
  • nationwide
  • surgical complications

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