A RECENT study found that selective surveillance of individuals at high risk for pancreatic cancer significantly improved clinical outcomes. The study compared patients undergoing pancreatic cancer surveillance with a control group from the US national database, showing substantial benefits in early detection and survival rates.
The study focused on individuals with a genetic or familial predisposition to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a highly lethal cancer with an increasing incidence rate. The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of annual surveillance using endoscopic ultrasonography or magnetic resonance imaging in detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer.
The study included 26 high-risk individuals diagnosed with PDAC through surveillance and compared them with 1504 matched control patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and the results showed that surveillance led to a higher proportion of stage I cancer diagnoses (38.5% vs 10.3% in the control group). The median tumour size at diagnosis was significantly smaller than in the high-risk group (2.5cm vs 3.6cm). High-risk individuals had a median overall survival (OS) of 61.7 months, compared to just 8.0 months for the control patients. The 5-year survival rate was 50% for the high-risk group, significantly higher than the 9% observed in the control group. The pancreatic cancer-specific mortality rate at five years was notably lower in the high-risk group (43% vs 86%).
These results show the potential of surveillance programs in improving outcomes for individuals at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer. By detecting the disease at an earlier, more treatable stage, these programs can significantly enhance survival rates and reduce cancer-specific mortality.
Overall, this study highlights the importance of regular surveillance for high-risk individuals in the early detection and management of pancreatic cancer. The results suggest that implementing such surveillance protocols could lead to better clinical outcomes and offer a valuable strategy in the fight against this aggressive cancer.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference:
Blackford AL et al. Pancreatic Cancer Surveillance and Survival of High-Risk Individuals. JAMA Oncol. 2024. [Epub ahead of print].
