Delayed diagnosis of pancreatic cancer reported as more common in a population of North African young adults.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most challenging tumor entities worldwide, characterized as a highly aggressive disease with dismal overall prognosis and an incidence rate equaling mortality rate.

Objective: In order to have an update about pancreatic cancer incidence and evolution in North Africa, we conducted an epidemiological analytical retrospective study at the level of three Algerian regions: Sidi-bel-Abbes, Oran and Tlemcen along the last eight years [2006-2013].

Methods: We performed a retrospective hospital-based study in which we analyzed the records of 160 pancreatic cancer patients registered, evaluated and treated in a Northern African region; at the level of hospital centers of the three western Algerian regions from 2006 to 2013.

Results: Along the period of study, 160 patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; with a mean age of 66.2 years, and a sex ratio of 1.65; other parameters such as a medical history smoking and alcoholism history, tumor site; histological type as well as the stage of diagnosis were also enrolled in the study. Our statistical analyses reported a very significant correlation between patients who belonged to the age group of 21-40 years and the advanced stage of diagnosis (basing on TNM classification) with P=0.02.

Conclusions: Pancreatic cancer is increasingly diagnosed in young adults at an advanced stage in North African regions.