Cancer surveillance of patients from familial pancreatic cancer kindreds

At least 10% of pancreatic cancer cases are due to an inherited predisposit ion. The precursor lesion to pancreatic cancer is dysplasia. Endoscopic sur veillance of high-risk families who inherit pancreatic cancer can be perfor med at centers experienced in early diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasia. Endo scopic ultrasound and ERCP can help identify patients who have pancreatic c ancer and determine if a pancreatectomy is warranted. Careful selection of patients, the timing of the operation, and an experienced team of gastroent erologists, pancreatic surgeons, pathologists and diabetologists are the ke y to a good surveillance program.