Published online Aug 21, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i31.4235
Peer-review started: March 24, 2022
First decision: May 9, 2022
Revised: May 18, 2022
Accepted: July 24, 2022
Article in press: July 24, 2022
Published online: August 21, 2022
Processing time: 144 Days and 12.5 Hours
While great strides in improving survival rates have been made for most cancers in recent years, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the solid tumors with the worst prognosis. PDAC mortality often overlaps with incidence. Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment, but it can be performed in a very limited number of cases. In order to improve the prognosis of PDAC, there are ideally two possible ways: the discovery of new strategies or drugs that will make it possible to treat the tumor more successfully or an earlier diagnosis that will allow patients to be operated on at a less advanced stage. The aim of this review was to summarize all the possible strategies available today for the early diagnosis of PDAC and the paths that research needs to take to make this goal ever closer. All the most recent studies on risk factors and screening modalities, new laboratory tests including liquid biopsy, new imaging methods and possible applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning were reviewed and commented on. Unfortunately, in 2022 the results for this type of cancer still remain discouraging, while a catastrophic increase in cases is expected in the coming years. The article was also written with the aim of highlighting the urgency of devoting more attention and resources to this pathology in order to reach a solution that seems more and more unreachable every day.
Core Tip: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the solid neoplasms with the worst prognosis. Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment. In 80% of patients, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is discovered at a stage too advanced for surgery. The aim of this review was to summarize all the possible strategies available today for the early diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and the paths that research must take to make this goal ever closer. The article highlights the urgency of devoting more attention and resources to this pathology in order to reach a solution that seems more and more unreachable every day.