Who should undergo endoscopic screening and surveillance for pancreatic cancer?
- Endoscopic screening and surveillance for pancreatic cancer are not recommended for the general population because of the overall low prevalence of the disease, the inaccuracy of available testing modalities, and the high expense.
- Some experts advocate that first-degree relatives of patients with familial pancreatic cancer and individuals with genetic syndromes associated with pancreatic cancer (such as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer [CRC], familial atypical mole melanoma, or PJS) undergo endoscopic screening and surveillance. CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging, combined with EUS, is considered to be the best available method for pancreatic cancer screening because of their high sensitivity and specificity and high negative predictive value for pancreatic malignancy.
