Review of the cost-effectiveness of surveillance for hereditary pancreatic cancer

Fam Cancer. 2024 Aug;23(3):351-360. doi: 10.1007/s10689-024-00392-1. Epub 2024 May 25.

Abstract

Individuals with hereditary pancreatic cancer risk include high risk individuals (HRIs) with germline genetic susceptibility to pancreatic cancer (PC) and/or a strong family history of PC. Previously, studies have shown that PC surveillance in HRIs can downstage PC diagnosis and extend survival leading to pancreatic surveillance being recommended for certain HRIs. However, the optimal surveillance strategy remains uncertain, including which modalities should be used for surveillance, how frequently should surveillance be performed, and which sub-groups of HRIs should undergo surveillance. Additionally, in the ideal world PC surveillance should also be cost-effective. Cost-effectiveness analysis is a valuable tool that can consider the costs, potential health benefits, and risks among various PC surveillance strategies. In this review, we summarize the cost-effectiveness of various PC surveillance strategies for HRIs for hereditary pancreatic cancer and provide potential avenues for future work in this field. Additionally, we include cost-effectiveness studies among individuals with new-onset diabetes (NoD), a high-risk group for sporadic PC, as a comparison.

Keywords: Cost-effectiveness; Endoscopic ultrasound; Germline genetic risk; Hereditary pancreatic cancer; MRI; New-onset diabetes; Pancreatic surveillance.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis*
  • Early Detection of Cancer / economics
  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Genetic Testing / economics
  • Genetic Testing / methods
  • Humans
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / economics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / genetics

Supplementary concepts

  • Pancreatic carcinoma, familial