Aspects and outcomes of surveillance for individuals at high-risk of pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths and is associated with a poor prognosis. The majority of these cancers are detected at a late stage, contributing to the bad prognosis. This underscores the need for novel, enhanced early detection strategies to improve the outcomes. While population-based screening is not recommended due to the relatively low incidence of PDAC, surveillance is recommended for individuals at high risk for PDAC due to their increased incidence of the disease. However, the outcomes of pancreatic cancer surveillance in high-risk individuals are not sorted out yet. In this review, we will address the identification of individuals at high risk for PDAC, discuss the objectives and targets of surveillance, outline how surveillance programs are organized, summarize the outcomes of high-risk individuals undergoing pancreatic cancer surveillance, and conclude with a future perspective on pancreatic cancer surveillance and novel developments.

Challenges in the management of operable triple-negative breast cancer in a survivor of the B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a case report

“…Pancreatic cancer surveillance is a contentious subject, with controversies regarding the identification of high-risk individuals, imaging methods, screening intervals, and patient outcomes. In the future, patients such as ours will hopefully benefit from personalized risk assessment and additional blood-based as well as radiomic biomarkers, including the use of artificial intelligence ( 40 ). An annual whole-body MRI might also prove useful for this patient, considering her risk of other new primary cancers.…”

Twenty-five years of surveillance for familial and hereditary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Historical perspectives and introduction to the special issue

“…The latest update of the original series in 2018 documented 14 pancreatic cancers and 10 high-grade dysplastic lesions in 354 patients. Since 2009, the outcomes of surveillance for familial pancreatic cancer from countries other than the United States have been published, as delineated by Overbeek et al and Bogdanski et al in this issue [ 23 , 24 ]. In 2010, Canto and others established the International Cancer of the Pancreas Screening (CAPS) Consortium, a global initiative aimed at organizing and standardizing pancreatic cancer screening efforts [ 25 ].…”

“…Bogdanski et al [ 24 ] present a comprehensive review of pancreatic cancer surveillance in high-risk individuals. They discuss the objectives, targets and methods of surveillance.…”