Screening Guidelines for People with Inherited Mutations

Experts do not recommend screening healthy people at average risk for pancreatic cancer. In people at high for pancreatic cancer, screening is only recommended for certain people. There are two professional groups with guidelines for pancreatic cancer screening for high-risk people that differ in their recommendations.  

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines

NCCN recommends that people undergoing pancreatic screening have the procedure at a facility with experience screening people at high risk for pancreatic cancer. Before undergoing screening, people should have a conversation with their doctor about the potential benefits, risks, costs and limitations of screening.

NCCN recommends that people with inherited mutations in the following genes (with or without a family history of cancer) "consider pancreatic cancer screening" with MRCP or EUS:

• STK11: (Peutz-Jeghers syndrome): Consider pancreatic cancer screening by MRCP or EUS every 1-2 years beginning at age 30-35 or 10 years younger than the earliest pancreatic cancer in the family.
• CDKN2A: Consider pancreatic cancer screening beginning at age 40 or 10 years earlier than the earliest pancreatic cancer diagnosis in the family.

NCCN guidelines recommend that people with an inherited mutation in one of the following genes and a family history of pancreatic cancer "consider pancreatic cancer screening" with MRCP or EUS beginning at age 50 or 10 years earlier than the earliest pancreatic cancer diagnosis in the family:

ATM	MSH2
BRCA1	MSH6
BRCA2	EPCAM
BRCA2	PALB2
MLH1	TP53

 

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) guidelines for people with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation

The ASGE released guidelines on pancreatic cancer screening for people with a BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation. These guidelines are different from NCCN guidelines for people with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. ASGE recommends:

• All people with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation regardless of family history of pancreatic cancer, should undergo annual  screening for pancreatic cancer with MRI/MRCP or EUS beginning at age 50 (or 10 years earlier than the earliest pancreatic cancer in the family).  

If you have an inherited mutation that increases your risk for pancreatic cancer, talk with your healthcare team to decide if pancreatic cancer screening is right for you.