Prevención y detección precoz del cáncer de páncreas

In western countries, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has shown a rising incidence and is currently one of the leading causes of cancer related mortality. Due to its aggressive biology, most patients diagnosed with PDAC present with advanced disease not suitable for curative treatment. An early detection strategy could potentially improve results by detecting more PDAC patients within the initial stages of the disease.

Currently, diagnosis of PDAC is mostly based in cross sectional imaging, including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as biomarkers such as CA 19-9. Selected cases might be further studied using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with the option of EUS guided biopsy if histology is needed to confirm diagnosis.

Due to its low incidence, screening general population for PDAC has been shown to be an ineffective and expensive approach. For this reason, efforts have shifted towards surveillance of specific groups of patients known to be at risk for development of PDAC. In these groups, screening has shown to have a higher yield for early cases and improved results in terms of resection rates and survival. These groups include carriers of certain oncogenic germline mutations, patients with strong family history for PDAC, and patients diagnosed with mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas. Patients over 50 years old diagnosed with new-onset diabetes and patients living with chronic pancreatitis are also considered to be at risk for PDAC development. Patients selected for surveillance should be included in screening protocols including periodic imaging with MRI or EUS.

Development of biomarkers is an area of active research in the field of pancreatic cancer. New genetic or molecular biomarkers, to be measured in an isolated or combined manner, are an interesting approach looking to improve current diagnostic capabilities and to provide new tools for effective screening in wider groups of patients.

The aim of this article is to describe strategies currently available for early detection of PDAC, including promising research areas for the near future.