Associations between obesity and lymph node metastasis and early recurrence in pancreatic head cancer: A single-center retrospective cohort study

• Pancreaticoduodenectomy was feasible and safe in obese patients with pancreatic cancer. • Lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis rates were higher in patients with obesity. • Early recurrence was higher and recurrence-free survival was shorter in obese patients. Obesity may contribute to pancreatic cancer development via metabolic modulation. The number of obese patients with pancreatic cancer is expected to increase worldwide. Herein, we investigated the effects of obesity on patients with pancreatic head cancer who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). We reviewed 141 consecutive PDs and compared clinicopathological factors and survival outcomes in obese (O: 29 patients) or non-obese (N: 112 patients) groups. Obesity was defined as a body mass index > 25 kg/m 2 . Intraoperative bleeding was higher in the O group than in the N group (450 vs. 280 mL, p