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Editorial
August 6, 2019

Screening for Pancreatic Cancer Gets a D, but the Student Is Improving

Author Affiliations
  • 1Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Departments of Pathology and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
  • 2Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
JAMA Surg. 2019;154(9):795-797. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2019.2832

In the current issue of JAMA, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published a reaffirmation recommendation statement1 and evidence report and systematic review2 on pancreatic cancer screening. The report raises a number of provocative questions. Screening was given a D recommendation, meaning that the USPSTF recommends against screening for pancreatic cancer in asymptomatic adults. The USPSTF found that the available evidence indicated that there is moderate or high certainty that screening has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the benefits. In this Editorial, we reflect on the conclusions of the USPSTF and look forward to new opportunities on the horizon.

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