The preferred method for diagnosing pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a common malignant tumor, but most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Therefore, everyone must understand the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. There are many methods for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. Patients must go to the hospital for formal examinations. We will give you a detailed introduction below, hoping to help you.

1. Ultrasound examination: Abdominal ultrasound is the preferred method for pancreatic cancer screening and diagnosis. It is easy to operate, non-destructive, non-radioactive, can be observed in multiple axes, and can better show the internal structure of the pancreas, the presence or absence of bile duct obstruction and the location of obstruction. The limitation of ultrasound is that it has a small field of view and is easily affected by the gas in the stomach and intestines and the body shape. At the same time, it should be emphasized that ultrasound is greatly affected by the level, experience, concept and equipment used by the doctor, and has a certain degree of subjectivity. If necessary, it should be combined with enhanced CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and laboratory tests for comprehensive consideration.

2. CT: CT is currently the best non-invasive imaging method for examining the pancreas, and is mainly used for the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer. Plain scans can roughly show the size and location of the lesion, but cannot accurately diagnose the tumor, nor is it conducive to showing the relationship between the tumor and the surrounding structures. Enhanced scans can better show the size, location, shape, internal structure of pancreatic tumors and their relationship with surrounding structures. CT can more accurately determine whether there is liver metastasis and enlarged lymph nodes.

PET-CT examination is a method that has been increasingly used in the field of tumor diagnosis and treatment in recent years. It can more accurately assess the nature and scope of lesions and has high value in the staging diagnosis of malignant tumors and the selection of appropriate treatment plans. However, the high cost and the fact that most of the examinations are self-funded are a major bottleneck limiting its application.

3. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance pancreatocholangiopancreatography (MRCP): Currently, they are not the first choice for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. However, when patients are allergic to CT contrast agents, MRI scans can be performed instead of enhanced CT for diagnosis and clinical staging. In addition, when some lesions are difficult to characterize, MRI examinations can be performed on the basis of CT examinations to supplement the deficiencies of CT images. MRCP has obvious advantages in determining whether there is bile duct obstruction, the location of obstruction, and the cause of obstruction. It is also safer than invasive examination methods such as endoscopic retrograde pancreatocholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and transhepatic puncture cholangiography (PTC).

I believe everyone has learned about the diagnosis method of pancreatic cancer. However, pancreatic cancer cannot be diagnosed by oneself. Everyone should pay attention to physical examinations in normal times. If you find any changes in your body, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible. As long as the disease is treated in the early stage, the treatment effect of the disease can be guaranteed.