Pancreatic Cancer Screening: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most lethal cancer types. Despite advancements that have led to some modest improvements in survival rates over the past decade, PC still has a dismal prognosis. Patients diagnosed with early-stage disease have higher survival rates. Unfortunately, PC seldom manifests itself early, and symptoms prompting diagnostic investigations usually develop when the disease is already advanced. PC screening may lead to better patient outcomes through detection of asymptomatic early-stage cancers and precursor lesions. Population-based screening is deemed unfeasible because of the low incidence of PC. However, screening of individuals with an inherited lifetime risk of ≥5%-10% for developing PC may prove beneficial. In the context of high-risk individuals, screening is referred to as surveillance. Yet, critical aspects such as suitable candidates for surveillance, the ideal time to initiate and discontinue surveillance, as well as the most effective surveillance method, preferred surveillance modalities, and optimal surveillance interval remain unclear. Herein, we summarize the current state of knowledge regarding PC surveillance by reviewing current expert consensus statements and guidelines. In addition, we review the management of identified lesions, the yield in different cohorts, and future directions to improve the outcomes of individuals at high-risk of developing PC.