Secondary screening for inherited pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Abstract

The prevalence of pancreatic cancer is too low, and the accuracy of current screening methods is not high enough to permit general population screening. Secondary screening in high-risk groups may be possible for the disease or its precursors. Pilot screening studies have been initiated and are generating data on the nature of inherited predisposition and the early stages of cancer development. It is already apparent that the specificity and sensitivity of secondary screening tests need to be improved. In this chapter, the preliminary evidence from the pioneering screening studies will be considered in order to discuss which participants should be recruited into future pilot studies and how biomarkers may in future be combinedwith imaging to reduce the number of missed cancers and premature surgical interventions.