title: Diagnostic clues and subsequent examinations that detected small pancreatic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to investigate how 2cm or smaller pancreatic cancers were detected successfully in recent years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diagnostic clues and subsequent examinations that detected 15 histologically confirmed 2 cm or smaller pancreatic cancers were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diagnostic clues were imaging findings in 6 patients, symptoms in 5 and laboratory data in 4. Six of 8 patients who had risk factors of pancreatic cancer such as pancreatic cyst, dilated main pancreatic duct, pancreatitis, or diabetes had been followed-up by imaging and laboratory examinations. Five patients with extrapancreatic disease had been followed-up chiefly by laboratory examinations. The remaining 2 had neither of them. Detectabilities of pancreatic mass in US, CT and EUS were 89%, 67% and 100%, respectively; those of pancreatic mass and/or dilated main pancreatic duct were 100% in all three modalities. Cytological examination revealed adenocarcinoma preoperatively in 14 patients (93%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Small pancreatic cancer of 2 cm or smaller were suggested by symptoms, laboratory data, or imaging examinations. They were confirmed by further examinations including cytology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Rena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takakura
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ioka
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D061765:Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration; D019160:Endosonography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor