Results and future developments of collaboration initiatives between hospitals and clinics for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Abstract

In recent years, Treatments and outcomes have been reported in regional collaborations between core facilities and clinics for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Since 2007, the Onomichi City Medical Association has collaborated with core facilities and clinics to develop projects for early pancreatic cancer diagnosis. At our clinic, we actively perform ultrasound (US), predominantly for patients with risk factors listed in the pancreatic cancer treatment guidelines. If dilated pancreatic ducts or pancreatic cysts are found, we refer them to core facilities for abdominal MRI and Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS). In follow-up cases, core facilities and clinics share the role of conducting regular examinations. This has resulted in an increase in the number of diagnoses of Stage 0 and I pancreatic cancer, and improvements in the surgical resection and 5-year survival rates of patients. Procedures for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using collaboration between hospitals and clinics have been initiated in more than 50 locations in Japan, with results similar to those that we observed in the Onomichi region. These results suggest that for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, it is important to understand clinical and histopathological images and the diagnostic algorithms of microscopic pancreatic cancer, conduct education and collaborate with professionals other than doctors, and build collaboration between physicians and medical technicians.