High Rate of Misdiagnosis of Suspected Cancer Found in Pancreatoduodenectomy Patients Over Three Decades

Researchers investigated the misdiagnosis of suspected cancer among patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) over a 30-year period. They found that diagnostic errors resulted in PD being mistakenly performed for benign disease. Of the 1,812 patients who underwent PD for suspected malignancy, 97 (5.2%) were ultimately diagnosed with a benign condition. The study also highlighted the challenges in accurately diagnosing certain benign diseases that can mimic malignancy, such as autoimmune and chronic pancreatitis.