Investigation of a pancreatic cancer screening program incorporating endoscopic ultrasonography

Abstract

Since December 2021, our institution has implemented a pancreatic cancer screening program incorporating endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). We analyzed the initial experience of 76 participants who had undergone the screening as of March 2025. Screening began with MRI/MRCP, followed by blood tests and intravenous access, after which EUS was performed under sedation. The median age of participants was 61.5 years (range, 30-81), including 42 men and 34 women. One participant discontinued MRI/MRCP due to claustrophobia, but EUS was successfully completed in all cases. Morphological abnormalities of the pancreas were observed in 34 participants (44.7%), with pancreatic cysts being the most common finding (26 participants, 34.2%) and a median cyst diameter of 5 mm (range, 2-118 mm). EUS identified suspected pancreatic cancer in one participant, with a lesion measuring 4 mm. All participants with pancreatic abnormalities underwent further evaluation in our gastroenterology department. The participant with the suspected pancreatic cancer ultimately underwent surgical resection, and the final diagnosis was high-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN). This report describes a novel approach for early detection of pancreatic cancer in a community hospital setting.