Article ID: 23009
Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether performing a detailed examination in a specialized pancreatic clinic (pancreas clinic) for cases of non-visualization of the pancreas (including poor visualization of the pancreas) and abnormal pancreatic findings (e.g., pancreatic cysts, main pancreatic duct dilatation, and pancreatic masses) identified on abdominal ultrasound (AUS) screening, and subsequent follow-up of these cases with pancreatic findings in the pancreas clinic, contributes to the identification of high-risk groups and the early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Subjects and Methods: This study targeted 34,066 cases that underwent AUS screening over a 3-year period beginning in January 2020 and compared the identification rate of pancreatic findings in cases that underwent a detailed examination before (pre-group) and after (post-group) the start of the pancreas clinic, each for a period of 18 months. All cases with pancreatic findings in the post-group were followed up at the pancreas clinic.
Results: At AUS screening, 4.9% of the cases had non-visualization of the pancreas, and 0.8% had abnormal pancreatic findings. For cases with non-visualization of the pancreas in the pre- and post-groups, 7.6% and 25%, respectively, had pancreatic findings after a detailed examination, with the post-group being significantly higher. For cases with pancreatic abnormal findings, the identification rate of pancreatic findings showed no significant difference between the pre- and post-groups. After the detailed examination, pancreatic cysts less than 5 mm were followed up in the pancreas clinic as a high-risk group for pancreatic cancer, and two cases of pancreatic cancer were detected at an early stage.
Conclusion: The identification rate of pancreatic findings increased by performing detailed examinations in the pancreas clinic for cases where the pancreas could not be visualized at AUS screening. By subsequently following up the high-risk group for pancreatic cancer identified based on detailed examination at the pancreas clinic, early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can be expected.
