Pancreatic Cancer: Epidemiological, Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects in Abidjan (Ivory Coast)

Abstract

Aim: The aim was to study the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of pancreatic cancers in Ivory Coast. Materials and methods: A retrospective multi-center and multidisciplinary study aimed at describing sixteen years and four months from January 1, 2000 to April 30, 2016 in several hospitals in the city of Abidjan taking charge of pancreatic cancers (hepato-gas troenterology services of the universities hospitals of Cocody and Yopougon), internal medicine departments of University Hospital of Treichville and Abidjan Military Hospital, the department of oncology of the university hospital center of Treichville, private clinics (DANGA, PISAM and GMP), the COBA center in Treichville. The diagnosis of cancer was based on either histological criteria or a set of clinical and paraclinical arguments. Patients whose files did not include imaging were excluded from this study. The following parameters were collected: age, sex, reason for consultation, physical signs, personal and family antecedents, tumor characteristics, delay in diagnosis and the nature of the treatment administered. Results: We have observed 150 cases of pancreatic cancer. The mean age of patients was 59.09 years with extremes ranging from 24 years to 88 years. Our study population consisted of 98 men and 52 women (sex ratio 1.88). Risk factors were dominated by diabetes 20.7%. Epigastralgia is the main reason for consultation (48%). The tumor was localized at the cephalic level in 84.67%. In 13 cases the diagnosis was histological and was dominated by adenocarcinoma (100%). The majority of our patients was seen at an advanced stage of the disease: stage IV (74.56%). The average time to diagnosis was 2.76 months. Fourteen of our patients (9.33%) had benefited surgery. This was curative surgery in 35.71% (n = 5) and palliative in 64.29% (n = 9). Among those who benefited from this curative surgery, three died two months after surgery and two lost to follow-up. The majority (90.67%) of our patients had received symptomatic treatment. Conclusion: Pancreatic cancer is an appalling cancer with a very bad and late diagnosis because of its insidious symptomatology. Most of the time, tumors had already metastasized before diagnosis, so the treatment is often symptomatic.