Surgical Outcomes Following Discharge from South African Cities for Pancreatic Cancer Patients Over Time

Pancreatic cancer is a significant health challenge in South Africa, particularly affecting patients discharged from urban centers. A longitudinal cohort study involving patients with a follow-up period of 5 years post-discharge. Data collection included patient demographics, treatment details, and survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves. Survival rates improved from year one to year five, indicating an evolving trend in surgical efficacy over time (year one: 20% vs year five: 45%, p < 0.01). The study highlights the importance of long-term follow-up for pancreatic cancer patients post-discharge. Further research should include a broader regional perspective and explore socioeconomic factors affecting patient outcomes. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.