Screening and surveillance approaches in familial pancreatic cancer

Screening and surveillance for pancreatic cancer and its precursors is a relatively new indication for endoscopic ultrasound. It provides an alternative approach to the ineffective treatment of mostly incurable symptomatic pancreatic cancer. It is currently reserved for individuals with an increased risk for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, such as those who have inherited genetic syndromes (eg, patients who have Peutz-Jeghers syndrome or hereditary pancreatitis, germline mutation carriers of p16 and BRCA2) and at-risk relatives of patients who have familial pancreatic cancer. This article discusses the rationale for performing screening and surveillance, the types of patients who are eligible for screening, the diagnostic modalities and technique for screening, the diagnostic yield of screening, and the ongoing research.