How can pancreatic cancer be diagnosed early?

Unfortunately, most pancreatic cancer cases are not found until the disease has already spread beyond the pancreas. As with most cancers, catching it late means the disease has spread to other organs and the prognosis is poorer than if it had been caught early. While researchers continue to search for new treatments for late-stage pancreatic cancer, educating yourself and your loved ones, and knowing your family history, is imperative.

Why is pancreatic cancer found late?

There are a few reasons a patient may not be diagnosed until they have advanced stage pancreatic cancer – primarily, the lack of symptoms. Many pancreatic cancer patients do not notice anything is wrong until the disease has impacted other areas of their body. And, the symptoms they may experience (bloating, stomach issues, etc.) are common indications of less-serious problems. Other more serious warning signs include dark urine, jaundice, unexplained weight loss and more.

Is there a screening for pancreatic cancer?

While there are no screening guidelines for people at average risk, there are guidelines for people who may at increased risk based on their family history or genetics. Testing would involve two types of imaging scans: magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), a type of MRI that focuses on the pancreas, gallbladder and liver, and an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) that creates images of these organs and may take a biopsy if necessary. If you are at high risk for pancreatic cancer, you would alternate these scans, having one of them every 6 months. 

You may be eligible for pancreatic cancer screening if you have one of the following:

• Two or more family members in the same blood line diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
• If you or a family member has certain genetic predispositions for cancer, such as Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Lynch Syndrome, or genetic mutations in the ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDKN2A, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, EPCAM, PALB2, STK11, and TP53 genes.

"Roswell Park’s new Department of Clinical Genomics is one-stop-shopping for people who may be at high risk for pancreatic cancer," says Kenen Onel, MD, PhD, Chief of Clinical Genomics. "We help them evaluate their personal risk, have genetic testing if appropriate, and then get the precision pancreatic cancer surveillance they need."

Roswell Park is proud to be one of only 42 centers nationwide recognized as an NPF Center for pancreatic cancer.