How to diagnose pancreatic cancer

The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer requires very detailed and professional examinations to ensure that there will be no tragedy of misdiagnosis or mistreatment. Therefore, don't reject tedious examinations. Clinicians can only formulate the most correct treatment plan based on the examination data. The following are the most critical examination methods for pancreatic cancer.

What are the 5 tests for diagnosing pancreatic cancer?

1. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

It has a high specificity for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In addition to showing the filling defect and occlusion of the main pancreatic duct stenosis, it can also clearly observe the morphological changes of pancreatic duct stenosis. It can detect pancreatic duct lesions with tumors smaller than 2 cm, which is an effective method for diagnosing small pancreatic cancer.

2. Ultrasound examination

The preferred method and the screening method in the general survey should pay attention to the size of the pancreatic head during the examination. For example, if the thickness of the pancreatic head measured by ultrasound is greater than 30mm (the ultrasound value of the pancreatic head of most men is less than 30mm and that of women is less than 28mm), and the thickness of the pancreatic body is greater than 25mm (normal men are less than 22mm and women are less than 20mm), further follow-up examinations should be performed. Low-echo solid masses and irregular shapes of the pancreatic body can be found. Tumors larger than 2cm can be found. Pancreatic duct dilatation, bile duct (intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic) dilatation, gallbladder enlargement, and intrahepatic metastases can also be found. The positive rate for pancreatic cancer of about 3cm can reach.

3. Ultrasound examination of fiber gastroscope

An ultrasonic probe is installed at the top of the gastroscope, close to the posterior wall of the stomach, to conduct a comprehensive examination of the pancreas without being interfered by gas. This greatly improves the diagnosis rate of pancreatic cancer and can clearly display the pancreatic structure and detect early lesions.

4. CT examination

CT scans can show the correct location and size of pancreatic tumors and their relationship to surrounding blood vessels, and can detect tumors with a diameter of about 1 cm. If the scan can be enhanced or some lesions that are difficult to identify with plain scans can be displayed more clearly, low-density irregular lesions can be seen in the enhanced pancreatic parenchyma. This examination can be used for staging to help determine the surgical method and prognosis. Currently, CT has become the main method for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. The accuracy of CT diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can reach .

5. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

It can show abnormal pancreatic contours and determine early local invasion and metastasis based on the signal level of T1-weighted images. MRI is superior to CT scanning in determining pancreatic cancer, especially small pancreatic cancer confined to the pancreas, as well as the presence or absence of peripancreatic spread and vascular invasion. It is a better method for predicting pancreatic cancer before surgery.