title: New developments in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
abstract: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive carcinoma of the digestive system and radical resection, which is available to very few patients, is the only possibility for cure. Since therapeutic choices are limited at the advanced stage, screening and early diagnostic tools are indispensable for a better prognosis. Areas covered: This review illustrates serologic and imaging examinations, and carbohydrate antigens, microRNAs, methylation biomarkers, molecules in exosomes, ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, among other topics. No matter which approach is used, the accuracy of early diagnosis is extremely low. Combining different methods greatly improves the accuracy of early diagnosis. This review was conducted utilizing PubMed with key search words pancreatic cancer, early diagnosis, biomarkers and imaging. Expert commentary: Appropriate combination of biomarkers and imaging technologies will become standard practice in the future. Because the incidence of and mortality from pancreatic cancer is rising, further study of new approaches for the early detection of pancreatic tumors is essential.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gastroenterology , Lihuili Hospital of Ningbo Medical Center , Ningbo , China.
authors.forename: QiuBo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: b Department of Oncology , the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University , Zhuhai , China.
authors.forename: ShaoJie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: b Department of Oncology , the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University , Zhuhai , China.
authors.forename: LinJuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gastroenterology , Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: YinTing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gastroenterology , Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: GuoDa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gastroenterology , Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: ChenChen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gastroenterology , Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: JiaJia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gastroenterology , Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: RuiJie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gastroenterology , Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Kai-Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D055354:Exosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Pancreatic cancer; biomarkers; early diagnosis; imaging; microRNAs