Identify Patients for High-Risk Pancreatic Cancer Screening

People who have their pancreatic cancer identified through screening do have a better chance of surviving this disease, but it’s still a rare cancer for which screening is limited and not widely discussed. “The question is, who are the best candidates for screening? For uncommon cancers, widespread screening programs like what we have for breast cancer or colorectal cancer are not helpful. The best candidates are individuals who have one or more risk factors that put them at the high-end of lifetime risk for developing pancreatic cancer,” says Christos Fountzilas, MD, FACP, a medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Primary Care physicians can play a key role in identifying patients who are right for high-risk pancreatic cancer screening. Dr. Fountzilas discusses these risk factors and how Roswell Park’s high-risk screening program improves pancreatic cancer patient outcomes.