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Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

  • Conference paper
Standards in Pancreatic Surgery

Abstract

Textbooks of medicine from the first half of the century generally stated that the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can only be made when it is palpable, and that this is too late for successful treatment. Very recently, Classen wrote in a current textbook of internal medicine [1]: “Diagnosis is easy using US, CT, ERCP and PTC. Treatment is by surgery but unfortunately impossible in the majority of cases. 1–4% of patients survive more than 5 years.” Thus it seems that major progress has been made in the diagnostic approach, without change in the outcome, i.e., without real benefit to the patient. This short review deals with four problems in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: diagnosis in the symptomatic patient, differential diagnosis to other pancreatic diseases, the question of early diagnosis (screening), and staging before treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Universität Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee, W-8400, Regensburg, Germany

    J. Schölmerich

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  1. J. Schölmerich
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Allgemeine Chirurgie, Universitätsklinik Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 9, W-7900, Ulm, Germany

    H. G. Beger  & M. Büchler  & 

  2. Abteilung Innere Medizin II, Universitätsklinik Ulm, Robert-Koch-Straße 8, W-7900, Ulm, Germany

    P. Malfertheiner

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© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Schölmerich, J. (1993). Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer. In: Beger, H.G., Büchler, M., Malfertheiner, P. (eds) Standards in Pancreatic Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-77437-9_64

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-77437-9_64

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-77439-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-77437-9

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