<p>This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.</p> <p>Of 36 patients with carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater who underwent surgery between
1971 and 1990, 31 had a radical operation. There was one operative death. The overall
5- and 10-year survival rates were 56 and 37 per cent respectively. Survival was
significantly influenced by tumour stage (p=0.0002), lymph node sthtus (p=0.006) and
the degree of differentiation of the lesion (P=0.01). Three patients developed local
recurrence after local excision of the tumour. Local or hepatic recurrence was common,
even 5 years after pancreatoduodenectomy (four of 18 patients who suffered relapse).
Radical resection can be curative in selected patients with ampullary carcinoma but late
recurrence suggests the need for careful lifelong follow-up.</p>
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HPB Surg. 1995; 9(1):59-60