[Pancreatic cancer-screening or surveillance?].

BACKGROUND: Despite continuous improvement of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, the number of new pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases diagnosed annually almost equals the number of PDAC-related deaths. Prerequisite for curative treatment is a resectable tumor at the time of diagnosis. Individuals with genetic and/or familial risk profiles should therefore be screened and included in structured surveillance programs.

OBJECTIVES: Description of the status quo and usefulness of current PDAC screening and surveillance concepts.

METHODS: A selective literature search of current national and international guidelines including underlying literature was performed.

RESULTS: Nearly half of pancreatic cancer cases are missed by currently available surveillance programs, even in high-risk cohorts. Magnetic resonance imaging and endoscopic ultrasound supplemented by CA19‑9 (± HbA1c ) are not accurate enough to ensure robust earlier pancreatic cancer detection. Complementary biomarker panels will take on a crucial diagnostic role in the future.