Enhancing diagnostic frameworks in pancreatic cancer imaging: A critical appraisal

Abstract

This letter to the editor critically appraises the study by Luo et al. While the study provides valuable insights into imaging-pathology correlations in pancreatic cancer, we identify several opportunities for enhancing its clinical relevance. Notably, the exclusion of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging limits the study’s diagnostic scope, as these modalities offer superior capabilities in differentiating benign from malignant lesions and assessing metabolic tumor activity. Additionally, the retrospective, cross-sectional design restricts the potential for dynamic insights into disease progression. We also highlight the untapped potential of radiomics-based analyses, which could significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and prognostic assessments. We recommend integrating these advanced imaging modalities, adopting longitudinal study designs, and leveraging radiomics approaches in future research to enhance the diagnostic frameworks in pancreatic cancer imaging.

Key Words: Pancreatic cancer; Cancer imaging; Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography

Core Tip: Luo et al's study highlights the potential of imaging-pathology correlations in pancreatic cancer diagnosis. However, integrating advanced imaging techniques like magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and positron emission tomography/computed tomography could significantly enhance diagnostic precision and provide valuable metabolic and anatomical insights. The inclusion of radiomics-based analyses offers an opportunity to extract quantitative imaging features, improving risk stratification and prognostication. Adopting longitudinal study designs could further elucidate the evolution of imaging features over time, aiding early detection and therapy planning. These enhancements align with trends in precision medicine, paving the way for more comprehensive and clinically impactful research in pancreatic cancer imaging.

TO THE EDITOR

We read with great interest the article "Retrospective analysis of pathological types and imaging features in pancreatic cancer: A comprehensive study" by Luo et al[1]. This study provides a critical exploration of imaging-pathology correlations in pancreatic cancer, a topic of immense significance given the poor prognosis associated with late diagnosis[1]. The authors have successfully highlighted the potential of imaging modalities in enhancing diagnostic accuracy. However, we believe certain aspects warrant deeper discussion to fully contextualize their findings within the existing body of research. One notable omission in this study is the exclusion of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) as a part of the imaging protocol. MRCP offers unparalleled visualization of pancreatic and biliary ducts in a non-invasive manner, which is crucial for diagnosing conditions like intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)[2]. For instance, MRCP could have allowed the identification of subtle ductal irregularities, such as main pancreatic duct dilation or small cystic lesions, which are often missed by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols[3]. Studies have demonstrated that MRCP’s sensitivity in detecting IPMN-related features, such as branch duct dilation or cystic structures, surpasses that of traditional MRI techniques[4]. Additionally, by integrating MRCP into routine protocols, the reliance on invasive diagnostic tools like endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography could be significantly reduced, leading to lower patient morbidity and healthcare costs[5,6]. Including MRCP in the imaging workflow would likely have enriched the findings of this study, particularly in differentiating benign from malignant cystic lesions and evaluating ductal involvement. Additionally, the omission of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) represents another limitation, given its established role in pancreatic cancer diagnosis. EUS is particularly valuable for detecting small pancreatic lesions, assessing local tumor invasion, and providing tissue diagnosis through fine-needle aspiration. Furthermore, EUS enables a detailed evaluation of peripancreatic lymph nodes, vascular involvement, and subtle parenchymal changes, which are often missed by computed tomography (CT) or MRI. Incorporating EUS into the imaging protocol could have provided histopathological confirmation and refined the study’s diagnostic approach.

While CT and MRI are standard imaging modalities for pancreatic cancer, the exclusion of positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging represents another notable limitation[7]. Beyond its established role in detecting distant metastases, PET/CT has been increasingly recognized for its ability to provide metabolic insights into tumor biology, which is essential for evaluating treatment responses[8]. For example, in patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy, PET/CT can reveal metabolic changes that might precede anatomical changes, offering a more dynamic and nuanced understanding of therapy efficacy[9]. Incorporating PET/CT into the imaging protocol would have complemented the findings from MRI and CT, providing a comprehensive diagnostic and staging framework for pancreatic cancer[10]. This approach would also have enabled a more robust assessment of tumor activity, particularly in distinguishing metabolically active malignant lesions from benign or necrotic tissue.

Another limitation of this study lies in its retrospective, cross-sectional design. Although the authors provide a robust snapshot of imaging-pathology correlations, a longitudinal study design would offer a dynamic perspective on the evolution of imaging features over time[11]. Such insights could have critical implications for clinical practice, particularly in identifying early markers of malignancy in premalignant lesions like IPMNs[12]. Furthermore, understanding how imaging characteristics correlate with disease progression or treatment resistance could pave the way for more personalized therapeutic interventions. For example, monitoring features like the "double duct sign" in early PDAC or changes in mural nodule enhancement in IPMNs over time could refine risk stratification and treatment planning[13,14]. The absence of temporal data limits the ability to assess how imaging features evolve with disease progression or therapy[15]. Despite employing advanced imaging techniques, the lack of radiomics-based analyses represents a missed opportunity to further enhance the study’s impact. Radiomics is an approach that extracts high-dimensional data from medical images, providing insights into tumor morphology, tissue heterogeneity, and biological characteristics, supported by artificial intelligence and statistical modeling methods. Radiomics enables the extraction of quantitative imaging features that reflect tumor heterogeneity, vascularity, and microenvironmental characteristics, many of which are imperceptible to the human eye[16,17]. When combined with diffusion-weighted imaging, radiomics could significantly enhance the diagnostic accuracy for differentiating benign and malignant lesions[18]. Furthermore, radiomics-based models could have provided prognostic insights, such as predicting overall survival or recurrence risk, thereby extending the clinical utility of the findings[19]. The integration of radiomics with existing imaging modalities would align the study with emerging trends in precision medicine[20]. In conclusion, Luo et al's study[1] lays a robust foundation for understanding imaging-pathology correlations in pancreatic cancer and highlights the potential of advanced imaging techniques. However, addressing the outlined limitations in future research, including the integration of MRCP and PET/CT imaging, adopting longitudinal designs, and leveraging radiomics-based analyses, could significantly enhance its clinical relevance and impact. We appreciate the authors’ significant contributions to this critical area of research and look forward to their future studies that incorporate these considerations.