What can be done when the cored specimen in a Frey procedure for chronic pancreatitis is reported as adenocarcinoma?

The aim of this study is to analyze the outcomes of patients with chronic pancreatitis who underwent the Frey procedure and who had a histologic evidence of adenocarcinoma in the cored out specimen.

The type of analysis is retrospective. Out of 523 patients who underwent Frey procedure for chronic pancreatitis, seven (five males and two females; age range 42 to 54 years) had histologically proven adenocarcinoma. In the first four cases, intraoperative frozen section was not done. The diagnosis was made on routine histopathology and only one out of four could undergo attempted curative therapy. In the remaining three cases, intraoperative frozen section confirmation was available, and curative resection performed. Only four out of seven had a clear-cut mass lesion: (a) cancer can occur in chronic pancreatitis in the absence of a mass lesion and (b) intraoperative frozen section of the cored specimen is crucial to exercising curative therapeutic options and must be performed routinely. If frozen section is reported as adenocarcinoma, a head resection with repeat frozen of the margins of resection is appropriate. If the adenocarcinoma is reported on regular histopathology after several days, then a total pancreatectomy may be more appropriate.