Pancreatic cancer screening: Identifying premalignant disease

Endoscopic ultrasound was utilized in the screening of individuals at high risk for pancreatic cancer. Patients with abnormal endoscopic ultrasound findings were further evaluated with fine-needle biopsy, endoscopic retrograde cholangipancreatography, and computerized tomography scanning. A total of 38 patients were enrolled in this prospective screening program. A total of seven patients were identified with suspicious neoplastic lesions and underwent pancreatic resection. No significant morbidity or mortality resulted from the screening tests or subsequent intervention including surgery. Surgical pathology revealed two neoplastic masses (invasive carcinoma and intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasm), three pancreatic intraepithelial neoplastic lesions, and two benign lesions for a diagnostic yield of 13.1% (five of 38). The patient with invasive carcinoma remains disease free over 5 years following surgery. The results of this study suggest a reasonable approach to detecting early neoplastic lesions in asymptomatic individuals. Such early intervention efforts hold much potential in reducing the mortality of this aggressive disease. Further studies are needed to confirm the suggested clinical benefit of screening and to answer questions related to specific screening protocols.