Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

Carcinoma of the pancreas is a lethal tumor, and majority of patients have a mean life expectancy of about two and a half months with a 5 year survival of 1-2%. Even in small presumed curable cases survival rarely extends beyound 2years. The prevalence of this tumor is higher in males. The known risk factors included: smoking, alcohol, high animal protein and fats in diet, nitrosamines and history of familial pancreatitis. The only effective treatment is surgical resection of tumor, which is possible in small tumors and comprises a very small number of cases. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are not very effective in this type of malignancy.