Why are many early-stage pancreatic cancers not treated with life-extending surgery? It seems that one of the reasons might be that physicians in general have pessimistic views toward all patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and are subsequently not being offered surgery.

There are instances where surgery is not an option but it seems that many cases, more often patients over the age of 65, African Americans, patients with lower incomes or those who are on Medicare or Medicade are passed over and not given this life-extending surgery and a chance for cure.

A study published this week by the Annals of Surgery said there is an under-use of curative resection for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatectomy is the primary treatment for early-stage disease. Over the years the survival results from this surgery have improved, giving at this time 19 percent of patients a five-year survival rate.

There is an opportunity to improve the care of pancreatic cancer patients in the United States by offering surgery to all appropriate patients with respectable disease. The researchers are calling for nationwide quality improvement measures similar to those used to promote research-proven treatments for advanced colon cancer to find out why patients with early-stage disease are not being offered surgery and to increase the appropriate use of pancreatectomy.