Stage Classification and Prognosis Assessment in Localized Pancreatic Cancer: It Takes Two to Tango

In the article that accompanies this editorial, Dekker et al3 propose that staging of patients with localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) at diagnosis should be based on anatomy, cancer antigen 19-9, and performance status (ABC factors). The data presented show that, in a population of patients with clinically localized PDAC who underwent primary modified fluorouracil with leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin treatment, ABC factors bear independent prognostic value for overall survival, and their combination could be used to predict individual patients’ clinical outcomes, discuss treatment options, and define the overall therapeutic strategy.