title: Review of screening for pancreatic cancer in high risk individuals.
abstract: Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose at an early stage and is associated with a very poor survival. Ten percent of pancreatic cancers result from genetic susceptibility and/or familial aggregation. Individuals from families with multiple affected first-degree relatives and those with a known cancer-causing genetic mutation have been shown to be at much higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Recent efforts have focused on detecting disease at an earlier stage to improve survival in these high-risk groups. This article reviews high-risk groups, screening methods, and current screening programs and their results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent's Hospital, 390 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, 2010 NSW, Australia. alinastoita@yahoo.com.au
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stoita
authors.forename: Ian D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Penman
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors