title: Pancreatic cancer: early detection, diagnosis, and screening.
abstract: Pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, is one of the most lethal malignancies, and researchers have therefore intensified efforts directed at its early detection and management. Early detection includes an effective screening program, as pancreatic cancer is known to evolve from precursor lesions, which can be identified using currently available diagnostic modalities. A recent multicenter trial (the CAPS 3 trial) demonstrated that screening of asymptomatic individuals at high risk for pancreatic cancer frequently detects small cystic pancreatic lesions, including curable, noninvasive high-grade neoplasms. In that study, endoscopic ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging were better at detecting pancreatic lesions than was computed tomography. On the other hand, effective screening modalities (e.g., imaging studies with measurement of biomarkers) are lacking for individuals at normal to moderate risk for this disease. Therefore, pancreatic cancer screening strategies should include identification of the population at high risk for this cancer and intensive application of screening tools with adequate sensitivity to detect early-stage disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Unit 1466, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.|Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Fukushima Medical University Aizu Medical Center Preparatory Office, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Irisawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Unit 1466, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. manoop.bhutani@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Manoop S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bhutani
keywords: Diagnosis; Pancreatic cancer; Risk factor; Screening