Standard radiologic diagnosis and CT scanning in pancreatic cancer.

Routine radiography plays little role in the current diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma, though some studies may be of use in treatment planning for specific patients. CT scanning is an important tool in the diagnosis of symptomatic pancreatic carcinoma. With present technology it is not a survey technique because lesions that do not deform the pancreatic contour are generally missed. Development of more sophisticated scanners or pancreatic-specific x-ray dyes may change this. At present, CT should be used in diagnosis and treatment planning for symptomatic patients either in conjunction with other tests or as the primary diagnostic procedure, depending upon the problems presented by the individual patient.