Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41874913›Full record

ArticleUpdates in surgery2026

Designing a national network of pancreas units: the Italian model for high-quality pancreatic cancer care.

Sergio Alfieri, Giuseppe Quero, Vincenzo Tondolo, Giampaolo Balzano, Antonella Cardone, Giovanni Conzo, Carlo Fabbri, Viviana Ferrari, Luca Frulloni, Salvatore Gruttadauria and 14 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Updates in surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

24 authors.

Sergio AlfieriPancreatic Surgery Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Giuseppe QueroPancreatic Surgery Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy. giuseppe.quero@policlinicogemelli.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0001-9479
Vincenzo TondoloDipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma, Rome, Italy.
Giampaolo BalzanoDivision of Pancreatic Surgery, Circolo di Varese Hospital, Varese, Italy.
Antonella CardoneCancer Patients Europe, Brussels, Belgium.
Giovanni ConzoDivision of General and Oncological Surgery, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Naples, Italy.
Carlo FabbriDigestive Endoscopy and Gastroenterology Unit, Forlì-Cesena Hospitals, Azienda Unita Sanitaria Locale della Romagna, Forlì-Cesena, Italy.
Viviana FerrariNastro Viola Association, Bergamo, Italy.
Luca FrulloniDepartment of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Salvatore GruttadauriaDepartment for the Treatment and Study of Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Transplantation, Istituto Di Ricovero E Cura a Carattere Scientifico-Istituto Mediterraneo Per I Trapianti E Terapie Ad Alta Specializzazione (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy.
Elisabetta IanelliItalian Federation of Volunteer-based Cancer Organizations (FAVO), Rome, Italy.
Evaristo MaielloMedical Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.
Roberta MenghiPancreatic Surgery Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Michele MilellaSection of Innovation Biomedicine-Oncology Area, Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, and Verona University and Hospital Trust, Verona, Italy.
Michele ReniDepartment of Medical Oncology, Pancreas Translational and Clinical Research Center, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Roberto SalviaDepartment of Pancreatic Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Verona, Verona, Italy.
Cristiano SpadaDipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma, Rome, Italy.
Manuela Tamburo De BellaHospital Clinical Networks Governance e DM70/15 Monitoring-AGENAS-National Agency for Regional Health Services (Age.na.s), Rome, Italy.
Ilaria TarantinoDigestive Endoscopy Service, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, IRCCS - ISMETT, Palermo, Italy.
Giampaolo TortoraDipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma, Rome, Italy.
Federica ValsecchiNadia Valsecchi Foundation, Brescia, Italy.
Leonardo VincentiUnit of Surgery, Department of Surgery Sciences, National Institute of Gastroenterology ""S. de Bellis", IRCCS Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Bari, Italy.
Fabio VistoliDivision of General and Transplant Surgery, San Salvatore Hospital ASL1 Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy.
Ugo BoggiDivision of General and Transplant Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pancreatic and periampullary cancers are among the most challenging malignancies. Centralization of care and multidisciplinary management have been associated with improved outcomes. In 2024,the Italian Ministry of Health established a national Steering Committee with the objective of defining a centralized model for the management of pancreatic and periampullary diseases and identifying the minimum requirements for referral centers across Italy. The Steering Committee met every four weeks through plenary and focused working groups. Using data from the National Agency for Regional Health Services and the National Outcome Program, all ICD-9 codes related to pancreatic, periampullary, and distal biliary diseases were analyzed. Criteria were developed according to international recommendations and structured into a Hub-and-Spoke network model. Pancreas Units(Hub centers) were defined as hospitals providing 24/7 multidisciplinary expertise, advanced diagnostic and interventional capabilities, and a minimum surgical volume of ≥ 30 pancreatic resections per year with 90-day mortality < 10% (target < 5% within 3 years). Spoke centers were required to adhere to standardized diagnostic–therapeutic pathways and participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, without performing pancreatic surgery. Based on catchment area analyses, one Hub center per 700,000–1,200,000 inhabitants was recommended. Additional requirements included structured multidisciplinary processes, standardized diagnostic pathways, and integration with national research and training networks. This national model provides a comprehensive framework for centralizing pancreatic and periampullary diseases care. By defining minimum standards, enhancing multidisciplinary coordination, and concentrating complex procedures in high-performance centers, this initiative aims to improve outcomes, reduce regional disparities, and create a sustainable national Pancreas Unit network.

Indexed as

Models, OrganizationalPancreatic NeoplasmsQuality of Health CareHumansItalyPatient Care TeamDisease centralizationHub-SpokeMultidisciplinaryPancreatic cancer

Identifiers

PMID41874913
PMCPMC13249644

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.