Stent Patency and Survival after PTBD and Biliary Stenting for Pancreatic Cancer: A 5-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

Sequential PTBD and biliary stenting provides effective biliary decompression with a median stent patency of 12 months but only limited impact on OS, which is dominated by disease stage. Covered stents improved patency and were associated with a modest survival advantage after adjustment. Prospective, multicenter studies are required to confirm these findings and to explore integration with systemic therapies.