Authors' objectives: Our objectives were to synthesize the available information on the diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of commonly used imaging tests for the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, as well as screening for pancreatic adenocarcinoma in high risk individuals.

Authors' recommendations: Current evidence permits some tentative conclusions about the comparative assessment of imaging tests for diagnosing and staging pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but many gaps remain. The conclusions we did draw are as follows: MDCT and EUS-FNA have similar accuracy in assessing resectability in patients whose disease is unstaged; EUS-FNA has a slight advantage over MDCT with respect to T (tumor) staging (specifically, a lower chance of undersizing the tumor); MDCT and MRI are similarly accurate with respect to both diagnosing and assessing vessel involvement; and PET/CT is more accurate than MDCT in assessing distant metastases (slight advantages in both sensitivity and specificity). The prominent gaps include minimal information on MDCT angiography, imprecise data on other imaging techniques, a lack of comparative data on patient-oriented outcomes and factors that could influence comparative accuracy, and test-specific data on screening accuracy.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/513/1972/cancer-pancreas-report-140929.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Contact Address: Center for Outcomes and Evidence Technology Assessment Program, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Tel: +1 301 427 1610; Fax: +1 301 427 1639;

Contact Name: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Contact Email: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Copyright: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)