Efforts at early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: the Mayo Clinic Experience.

By contract with the National Cancer Institute, the authors have prospectively evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of serologic, secretory, endoscopic, and imaging procedures. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, angiography, and pancreatic exocrine function tests have similar sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value in the diagnoses of pancreatic disorders. A newly developed ultrasonic endoscope has been evaluated for human use and preliminary findings suggest that it is safe. This endoscope generates a high resolution of real time images of extraluminal gastrointestinal organs, including the pancreas. This technique may be useful in detecting small premetastatic and resectable cancers of the pancreas.