2026 Volume 64 Issue 2 Pages 142-151
The prognosis for invasive pancreatic cancer is extremely poor, and pancreatic cancer is well known as the most difficult type of cancer to treat. On the other hand, it has been reported in recent years that the prognosis improves dramatically if the tumor can be diagnosed at a small diameter, making early diagnosis essential to improving the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. In other words, the major challenge for the future is how to detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage, perform the necessary diagnostic examinations without excess or deficiency, and link the findings to treatment. The Pancreatic Cancer Early Diagnosis (Hi-PEACE) project launched throughout Hiroshima Prefecture in January 2023. The purpose of this project is 1) to detect early pancreatic cancer based on risk factors for pancreatic cancer and indirect findings from images, regardless of symptoms, and 2) to establish a smooth hospital collaboration between core facilities and clinics in each regional medical district throughout the prefecture. It is expected that such procedures throughout the prefecture will lead to earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, a dramatic improvement in the prognosis of pancreatic cancer, and the establishment of new early diagnostic markers for pancreatic cancer.
