Current Issue Online First Most Read Most Cited
Gut and Liver https://doi.org/10.5009/gnl18491 Detecting Early Pancreatic Cancer: Current Problems and Future Prospects
Author Information
Hiroyuki Matsubayashi1,2, Hirotoshi Ishiwatari1 , Keiko Sasaki3, Katsuhiko Uesaka4, and Hiroyuki Ono1
Divisions of 1Endoscopy, 2Genetic Medicine Promotion, 3Pathology, and 4Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka, Japan

Hiroyuki Matsubayashi (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7050-2351)
Division of Endoscopy and Genetic Medicine Promotion, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi, Suntogun, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan
Tel: +81-55-989-5222, Fax: +81-55-989-5692, E-mail: h.matsubayashi@scchr.jp
© The Korean Society of Gastroenterology, the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research, Korean Association the Study of Intestinal Diseases, the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver, Korean Pancreatobiliary Association, and Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Cancer. All rights reserved.

Abstract
The number of patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) is currently increasing in both Korea and Japan. The 5-year survival rate of patients with PC 13.0%; however, resection with minimal invasion (tumor size: ≤10 mm) increases the 5-year survival rate to 80%. For this reason, early detection is essential, but most patients with early-stage PC are asymptomatic. Early detection of PC has been reported to require screening of high-risk individuals (HRIs), such as those with a family history of PC, inherited cancer syndromes, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, or chronic pancreatitis. Studies on screening of these HRIs have confirmed a significantly better prognosis among patients with PC who were screened than for patients with PC who were not screened. However, to date in Japan, most patients with early-stage PC diagnosed in routine clinics were not diagnosed during annual health checks or by surveillance; rather, PC was detected in these patients by incidental findings during examinations for other diseases. We need to increase the precision of the PC screening and diagnostic processes by introducing new technologies, and we need to pay greater attention to incidental clinical findings.
Keywords: Pancreatic neoplasms; Early detection of cancer; Risk factors; Mass screening; Incidental finding
Abstract
The number of patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) is currently increasing in both Korea and Japan. The 5-year survival rate of patients with PC 13.0%; however, resection with minimal invasion (tumor size: ≤10 mm) increases the 5-year survival rate to 80%. For this reason, early detection is essential, but most patients with early-stage PC are asymptomatic. Early detection of PC has been reported to require screening of high-risk individuals (HRIs), such as those with a family history of PC, inherited cancer syndromes, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, or chronic pancreatitis. Studies on screening of these HRIs have confirmed a significantly better prognosis among patients with PC who were screened than for patients with PC who were not screened. However, to date in Japan, most patients with early-stage PC diagnosed in routine clinics were not diagnosed during annual health checks or by surveillance; rather, PC was detected in these patients by incidental findings during examinations for other diseases. We need to increase the precision of the PC screening and diagnostic processes by introducing new technologies, and we need to pay greater attention to incidental clinical findings.
Keywords: Pancreatic neoplasms; Early detection of cancer; Risk factors; Mass screening; Incidental finding
Search for
Services
Archives