Local staging of pancreatic cancer: criteria for unresectability of major vessels as revealed by pancreatic-phase, thin-section helical CT.

Abstract

A grading system for tumor involvement of the major vessels in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma can be based on the degree of circumferential contiguity of tumor to vessel. Involvement of vessel to tumor that exceeds one-half circumference of the vessel is highly specific for unresectable tumor.