As part of Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week, we invite you to watch or re-watch our insightful webinar featuring our expert speakers, Ms. Beth Dudley Yurkovich and Dr. Bryson Katona. The webinar, titled "Identification and Management of Hereditary Pancreatic Cancer Risk," delves into crucial discussions on understanding and effectively managing the risks associated with hereditary pancreatic cancer.
The webinar started with a comprehensive overview by Beth Yurkovich, MS, MPH, discussing the NCCN guidelines for genetic testing criteria in pancreatic cancer risk syndromes. She provided valuable insights to better understand the disease spectrum and lifetime risk of the top predisposition genes associated with pancreatic cancer, including other relevant associated phenotypes with each gene.
Dr. Bryson Katona, MD, PhD, presented the second part, focusing on the management of hereditary pancreatic cancer families. Dr. Katona highlighted variations in eligibility for pancreatic cancer surveillance according to different guidelines. He summarized key criteria, including recommended ages based on mutated genes, patient suitability for surgery, and the importance of discussing the risks, benefits, and limitations of surveillance with patients.
Dr. Katona went on to discuss current guidelines for pancreatic screening eligibility. While the NCCN guidelines still require the presence of a positive family history for many of the pancreatic cancer genes, recent ASGE guidelines suggest surveillance for BRCA1/BRCA2 and PALB2 carriers, even in the absence of a family history of pancreatic cancer. In contrast, ATM and Lynch carriers still require a family history for pancreatic cancer surveillance. The session also delved into optimal imaging techniques, supported by clinical examples, and provided the latest results and recommendations on blood-based tests.
The discussion extended to surveillance outcomes for pancreatic cancer, revealing that recent data supports downstaging pancreatic cancer detection through surveillance, impacting overall patient survival. However, the limitations of published studies, such as a lack of population diversity and sex-based disparities, were acknowledged. The need for improvement in study enrolment for pancreatic cancer patients was emphasized, urging all individuals undergoing pancreatic cancer surveillance to participate in clinical studies.