Early Screening is the Only Way to Break the "Diagnosis at Late Stage" Dilemma

The lethality of pancreatic cancer stems from its "master of disguise" nature: early symptoms are nonspecific, such as abdominal bloating, mild pain, and slight weight loss, which overlap significantly with common diseases like gastritis and diabetes, causing 90% of patients to miss surgical opportunities at their first visit. Early-stage (Stage I) pancreatic cancer patients undergoing curative surgery can achieve a five-year survival rate of 35%-40%, over eight times that of late-stage patients. Early screening can turn pancreatic cancer from a "terminal illness" into a "treatable disease," giving more patients a chance for cure.

Early Screening is the Most Cost-Effective Health Investment

Treatment of mid-to-late stage pancreatic cancer is a "money-burning black hole": targeted drugs cost over 50,000 RMB per month, and immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy can exceed 300,000 RMB annually, with median survival only 8-10 months.

Annual CT screening for smokers over 40 years old costs about 800 RMB per scan, but can reduce late-stage treatment costs by 70%, alleviating family burdens and significantly reducing patient suffering.

Early Screening is the Core Pivot of Precision Prevention and Control

High-risk groups for pancreatic cancer include: (1) chronic pancreatitis patients (15 times higher cancer risk); (2) carriers of BRCA2 and PALB2 gene mutations (lifetime risk over 10%); (3) long-term smokers (2-3 times increased risk); (4) newly diagnosed diabetics (8 times higher cancer risk within 3 years). By establishing a three-tiered prevention system of "risk stratification – precision screening – dynamic management," high-risk groups can be targeted precisely. Annual screening using CA19-9 testing combined with MRI has increased early diagnosis rates from 9% to 32%, embodying a "catch early, treat before disease" strategy that fundamentally curbs disease spread.

Technological Innovation Turns Early Screening from "Impossible" to "Accessible"

Breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer early screening technology: liquid biopsy leads non-invasive screening. The cfDNA methylation-based "Pancreas Screen" kit can detect 16 pancreatic cancer-specific methylation sites from 10ml of blood, providing cancer warnings 12 months in advance with 92% accuracy, currently in clinical validation.

Imaging diagnostics: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can detect pancreatic micro-lesions as small as 3mm; dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI clearly shows fine pancreatic duct structures to diagnose early invasive cancer. CT imaging can automatically identify abnormal pancreatic tissue density and duct dilation, turning pancreatic cancer early screening into a routine service at secondary hospitals and providing a technical foundation for large-scale screening.

The “Healthy China 2030” cancer prevention and control program recommends biennial screening for high-risk individuals aged 40 to 70. High-risk criteria—such as smoking ≥20 pack-years combined with a history of diabetes—and an annual screening frequency are used to establish a tiered diagnostic and treatment pathway encompassing community-based initial screening, specialized diagnostic evaluation, and comprehensive case management.