Early warning from low-risk cysts could help catch pancreatic cancer sooner

Catching pancreatic cancer early can increase the five-year survival rate from 15% to 80%. Patients with pancreatic cysts, frequently detected during unrelated abdominal CT or MRI imaging, can develop malignant pancreatic cancers. In a new study, Mass General Brigham investigators showed that patients with low-risk pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) have approximately 14 times higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer than the general population.