Pancreatic Cancer Screening and Early Detection: Current Strategies and Emerging Innovations in Imaging

Shravya Srinivas Rao, Ok Kyu Song, Yoshifumi Noda, Khoschy Schawkat Khurschid, Michael H Rosenthal, Avinash R Kambadakone
Radiol Clin North Am. 2026 May;64(3):489-499. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2026.01.005. Epub 2026 Mar 6.
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the leading cause of cancer-related deaths and has a dismal prognosis due to late-stage diagnosis. Early detection, improves survival, but remains a challenge due to nonspecific symptoms and lack of population-level screening tools. Current guidelines recommend surveillance in individuals with >5% lifetime risk. Imaging modalities form the cornerstone of screening and surveillance, while serum biomarkers show promise. Emerging technologies in imaging are demonstrating potential to detect subtle changes years before clinical diagnosis. Together, multidisciplinary surveillance strategies may have the potential to shift the paradigm towards early detection in high-risk groups to improve outcomes.