<Table> <Tr> <Th> Year / period </Th> <Th> Type of event </Th> <Th> Event </Th> <Th> Location </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1761 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> Italian anatomist Giovanni Battista Morgagni is attributed with the first known description of pancreatic cancer in his publication De Sedibus Et Causis Morborum Per Anatomen Indagatis Libri Quinque . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1858 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> American physician Jacob Mendez Da Costa describes the first microscopic diagnosis of adenocarcinoma , manifesting pancreatic cancer as a true disease entity . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1898 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> Italian surgeon Alessandro Codivilla performs the first reported attempt at a pancreaticoduodenectomy for a tumor involving the head of the pancreas ( the patient did not survive the postoperative period ) . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1906 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> Scottish embryologist John Beard proposes that pancreatic proteolytic digestive enzymes represent the body 's main defense against cancer , and that enzyme therapy would be useful as a treatment for all types of cancer . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1909 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> German surgeon Walter Kausch first describes the pancreaticoduodenectomy procedure . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1914 </Td> <Td> Achievement </Td> <Td> German surgeon Georg Hirschel performs the first successful pancreaticoduodenectomy in one stage . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1937 </Td> <Td> Achievement </Td> <Td> American physician Alexander Brunschwig performs the first successful pancreaticoduodenectomy in two stages for pancreatic cancer . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1940 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> American surgeon Allen Whipple performs a successful one - stage pancreaticoduodenectomy , being the first to popularize the procedure ( today also called Whipple procedure ) . His major surgical operation involves the removal of the head of the pancreas , the duodenum , the proximal jejunum , gallbladder , and often the distal stomach . This operation is performed to treat cancerous tumours of the head of the pancreas , malignant tumors involving the common bile duct , duodenal papilla or ampulla of Vater , or duodenum near the pancreas , some precancerous lesions , some cases of pancreatitis with or without a definitive cause , and rarely , severe trauma . </Td> <Td> United States </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1942 </Td> <Td> Achievement </Td> <Td> First successful total pancreatectomy is performed at Mayo Clinic , for an insulinoma . </Td> <Td> Rochester , Minnesota , US </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1944 </Td> <Td> Discovery </Td> <Td> First report of tuberculosis mimicking pancreatic cancer . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1947 </Td> <Td> Discovery </Td> <Td> First recognition of a causative relationship between the subcutaneous adiponecrosis and pancreatic cancer . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1951 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> First performance of resection and reconstruction of the superior mesenteric vein for pancreatic cancer at University of Minnesota . </Td> <Td> Minnesota , US </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1955 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> Researchers first describe the clinical features of a gastrinoma ( a tumor in the pancreas or duodenum ) . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1958 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> Researchers first describe the persistent watery diarrhea and hypokalemia associated with a pancreatic islet - cell tumor . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1963 </Td> <Td> Development </Td> <Td> The first case of pancreatic cancer with skeletal metastases is described . </Td> <Td> Russia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1967 </Td> <Td> Discovery </Td> <Td> Study shows that more than half of patients with pancreatic cancer have psychological symptoms occurring as early as 43 months before physical symptoms . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1979 </Td> <Td> Discovery </Td> <Td> Researchers discover biomarker CA 19 - 9 ( commonly for diagnosis and management of patients with pancreatic cancer ) . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1981 </Td> <Td> Treatment </Td> <Td> Researchers discover that adding fluorouracil to standard radiation boosts one year survival from 10 percent to 40 percent for patients with locally advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1981 </Td> <Td> Discovery </Td> <Td> Study at University of Maryland Medical Center links environmental exposure to pancreatic cancer . Researchers discover that male victims are more often employed in the dry - cleaning business or in occupations involving close exposure to gasoline . They also find that women at risk of PC are more likely to smoke cigarettes , have uterine tumors and have had ovaries removed or have miscarriages . </Td> <Td> Baltimore , Maryland , US </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1985 </Td> <Td> Treatment </Td> <Td> Chemotherapy plus radiation are found to be effective as adjuvant therapy for patients with earlier stage of
when was the first case of pancreatic cancer discovered
1761