Since 2012 in Reggio Emilia a new diagnostic and therapeutic protocol has been implemented including multidisciplinary team discussion of non-metastatic PDACs and radiological review of CT scans by an experienced radiologist.
The aim of this study is to measure the impact of this new protocol on the occurrence of surgical failures, including incomplete resection or surgery in which resection resulted impossible at all. The investigators also describe the changes in overall survival and process indicators such as the proportion of patients referred to different therapeutic options (upfront surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and no surgery) and the compliance with referral.
Through a population-based cohort study, the investigators evaluated the impact of the new protocol on therapeutic management and surgical outcome of patients with non-metastatic PDAC by comparing two four-years periods, respectively 2008-2011 and 2013-2016, before and after the introduction of the protocol. Since 2012 was the transitional year when the protocol was introduced, patients diagnosed with PDAC in 2012 were excluded.
