Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Issue 2019

Peter D. Siersema

Pancreatic cancer is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. However, its toll is even higher in more developed countries. Reasons for differences in mortality rates for pancreatic cancer include, amongst others, delay in diagnosis, uncertainty about whether a lesion is cancerous or benign, difficulty in determining whether the malignancy is confined to the pancreas or already has grown into surrounding structures, and the presence of advanced disease precluding curative treatment.

As patients rarely have symptoms until the disease is at an advanced stage, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignant neoplasms, causing 432 242 deaths in 2018 (GLOBOCAN 2018 estimates). Globally, 458 918 new cases of pancreatic cancer were reported in 2018. Despite advances in the detection and management of pancreatic cancer, the 5-year survival rate still stands at only 9% [1].

Raising awareness of pancreatic cancer is therefore important throughout the year, but especially during the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November. Endoscopy is happy to contribute to this effort by actively supporting some of the latest developments in the diagnosis and staging of this devastating malignancy.

Unsurprisingly, most papers focus on various applications of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for pancreaticobiliary indications. As most of the diagnostic modalities applied in the region of the pancreas encompass both malignant and nonmalignant disorders, this issue also includes papers related to benign pancreatic disorders, for example on various types of stents or the use of ERCP in patients with previous upper gastrointestinal surgery. Finally, as training is important for the future of endoscopy, an assessment tool for ERCP training of endoscopists is also published.

Don’t miss this issue of Endoscopy during the 2019 Pancreatic Awareness Month. Enjoy reading!

Peter D. Siersema, on behalf of the Editorial Team

• References

• 1 Rawla P, Sunkara T, Gaduputi V. Epidemiology of pancreatic cancer: Global trends, etiology and risk factors. World J Oncol 2019; 10: 10-27