Imaging Techniques and Biochemical Biomarkers: New Insights into Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

• Published in: Cell biochemistry and biophysics Vol. 82; no. 4; pp. 3123 - 3144
• Main Authors: Jafari, Seyed Hamed, Lajevardi, Zahra Sadat, Zamani Fard, Mohammad Masoud, Jafari, Ameneh, Naghavi, Soroush, Ravaei, Fatemeh, Taghavi, Seyed Pouya, Mosadeghi, Kimia, Zarepour, Fatemeh, Mahjoubin-Tehran, Maryam, Rahimian, Neda, Mirzaei, Hamed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-12-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Biochemistry; Biological and Medical Physics; Biomarkers; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biophysics; Biotechnology; Cancer; Cell Biology; Coding; Computed tomography; Diagnosis; Hand tools; Imaging techniques; Life Sciences; Medical imaging; Non-coding RNA; Pancreatic cancer; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Review Paper; Imaging techniques; Biochemical biomarkers; Pancreatic cancer
• ISSN: 1085-9195; 1559-0283; 1559-0283
• DOI: 10.1007/s12013-024-01437-z

Pancreatic cancer (PaC) incidence is increasing, but our current screening and diagnostic strategies are not very effective. However, screening could be helpful in the case of PaC, as recent evidence shows that the disease progresses gradually. Unfortunately, there is no ideal screening method or program for detecting PaC in its early stages. Conventional imaging techniques, such as abdominal ultrasound, CT, MRI, and EUS, have not been successful in detecting early-stage PaC. On the other hand, biomarkers may be a more effective screening tool for PaC and have greater potential for further evaluation compared to imaging. Recent studies on biomarkers and artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced imaging have shown promising results in the early diagnosis of PaC. In addition to proteins, non-coding RNAs are also being studied as potential biomarkers for PaC. This review consolidates the current literature on PaC screening modalities to provide an organized framework for future studies. While conventional imaging techniques have not been effective in detecting early-stage PaC, biomarkers and AI-enhanced imaging are promising avenues of research. Further studies on the use of biomarkers, particularly non-coding RNAs, in combination with imaging modalities may improve the accuracy of PaC screening and lead to earlier detection of this deadly disease.