Accurate pretreatment staging and subsequent prediction of prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is challenging due to subclinical micrometastasis as well as variations in tumor biology. Moreover, patients with non-metastasized localized PDAC are increasingly treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to resection.
The investigators recently developed a preoperative prognostic score to predict postoperative outcomes based on routine laboratory biomarkers and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, the HELPP score (Heidelberg Prognostic Pancreatic Cancer Score). Based on a large retrospective analysis of 1197 patients and an external validation cohort the HELPP score was able stratify patients based on expected survival only utilizing routinely available preoperative data. However, prospective validation is currently lacking.
This multi-site prospective observational study aims to prospectively validate the HELPP score in the clinical scenarios described above. Additionally, it aims to investigate its utility regarding median recurrence-free survival and patterns of recurrence. The study includes all consecutive patients with PDAC undergoing exploration (without or without neoadjuvant treatment) with the aim of resection within a timeframe of 12 months (all-comers concept, snapshot study).
The parameters on which the score is based on are routinely available to hospitals worldwide. Simplicity of the grading system facilitates implementation in daily clinical practice. This score could potentially help tailor treatments, aid in patient stratification in clinical trials, and provide new insights into tumor biology.
