Objective To investigate the early diagnosis and treatment methods of primary duodenal papilla carcinoma. Methods The medical records of 54 patients with primary duodenal papilla adenocarcinoma underwent operation between January 2002 and December 2008 were reviewed. Results Thirty seven cases received fiberduodenoscopy and 35 cases received ERCP, and the accuracy of them were both 100%. Forty four patients received duodenopancreatectomy and 10 patients received jaundice-reducing operation. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulation survival rate was 68%, 50%, and 29%, respectively. Conclusions Fiberduodenoscopy and ERCP are the effective diagnostic methods for duodenal papilla carcinoma. Early diagnosis and early rational radical operation are essential for successful treatment of duodenal papilla carcinoma.