A 20-year study by the LUMC shows that an annual screening of people with a hereditary increased risk of pancreatic cancer leads to earlier detection and better survival. The researchers looked specifically at people with the p16-Leiden mutation, which is relatively common in the Leiden region.
Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis, which can be improved by detecting tumors as early as possible. That is why 20 years ago a screening program was set up at the LUMC for people with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Until now, it was unknown whether such screening is useful for this group.
The screening consists of an annual MRI scan and is only offered to people with p16-Leiden mutation, which increases the chance of pancreatic cancer by 20%. In the 20-year screening program it has been found that screening these people annually is useful. More than 80% of the participants in whom pancreatic cancer was found could be operated on. In the general population, this is only possible in 20% of patients, because the tumor is often already too large or has metastasized.
In addition, the mean survival 5 years after diagnosis among participants was 32%, compared to only 5% in the general population. These results, which in JCO published show that screening leads to the detection of cancer at an earlier stage and is associated with better survival.
Sources:
Klatte DCF, Boekestijn B, Wasser MNJM, et al. Pancreatic Cancer Surveillance in Carriers of a Germline CDKN2A Pathogenic Variant: Yield and Outcomes of a 20-Year Prospective Follow-Up. J Clin Oncol. 2022:JCO2200194.
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