Objective: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the best survival when detected early with 5-year survival near 40% for small, resectable PDAC. We evaluate the undiagnosed PDAC imaging features on routine CT and their impact on resectability. Methods: 76 of the screened 134 CTs from 1/1/2012 to 12/31/2018 using our tumor registry were obtained prior to PDAC diagnosis for other indications at least one month before presentation. Each cross-sectional study was reviewed for features of early PDAC: pancreatic mass, pancreatic ductal dilatation, perivascular/peripancreatic soft-tissue infiltration, omental lesions/ascites, and lymphadenopathy. When such features were detectible by the reviewing radiologists, the original CT readings were classified as concordant/discrepant. Descriptive statistics are reported for discrepant reads, tumor resectability, and tumor size. Results: Of the 76 cases from 46 unique subjects (30 male/16 female), 25 CTs (33%) had undetected PDAC imaging features: masses (15/19 unreported), ductal dilatation (16/20 unreported), and peripancreatic/perivascular soft-tissue infiltration (20/36 unreported). 63% of early PDAC features were not identified initially. One year before clinical diagnosis, 75-80% of the PDAC cases were resectable; at < 6 months before clinical diagnosis, only 29% were resectable. Conclusion: Improving early detection of key PDAC features on routine CT examinations can potentially improve patient outcomes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.