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    Treatments & Services

High-risk pancreatic screening program

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most challenging cancers to detect early. Symptoms often don’t appear until the disease has progressed or spread to other organs. For individuals with a higher risk due to family history or genetic factors, early screening can make a critical difference.

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A patient in a high-risk pancreatic screening program speaks with his physician.

Am I eligible for pancreatic cancer screening?

Our program is for individuals who have either a family history of pancreatic cancer or a genetic finding that can be linked to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. To be eligible, you must have at least one of the following:

  1. A family history of pancreatic cancer in two or more first-degree relatives or one first degree relative and one or more second degree relatives on the same side of the family. First-degree relatives are a parent, sibling, or child not related by marriage or adoption. Second-degree relatives are a grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, niece or nephew.
  2. The genetic mutation of ATM or BRCA2.
  3. The genetic mutation of BRCA1, PALB2, TP53 or a gene associated with Lynch Syndrome and at least one family member with a history of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Screening for the above family history or genetic criteria starts at age 50 or 10 years earlier than the age at which a family member was initially diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, whichever is earlier.

Individuals with a gene mutation in CDKN2A (Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma [FAMMM] Syndrome, STK11 (Peutz-Jeghers syndrome), or PRSS1 (hereditary pancreatitis) should contact the screening program for further information on screening eligibility.

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