| [ Summary ] |
Currently, detection of pancreatic cancer at an early stage is unrealistic, particularly in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), because the survival rate is too low even in stage I. Furthermore, most patients are diagnosed at stage III and IV. To establish the concept of "early-stage cancer" in PDAC, an innovative screening system for PDAC should be developed. On the other hand, for pancreatic tumors with low-grade malignancy, such as intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, shrinking surgery without lymph node dissection can be adopted in selected cases that may be classified as early-stage cancer. |