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. 2022 Oct 31;14(21):5382. doi: 10.3390/cancers14215382

Table 1.

Major imaging techniques employed for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and their limitations.

Technique Merit(s) Demerit(s)
Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT)

  • High sensitivity and specificity for the detection of the vascular invasion;

  • Short acquisition time;

  • 3D image processing aids in the staging of the cancer;

  • Obtaining thin collimation images with a high spatial and temporal resolution.

  • Nephrotoxicity;

  • Tissue/organ damage due to the radiation exposure;

  • Lack of an attenuation gradient between the cancer tissue and pancreatic parenchyma, leading to erroneous predictions.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

  • Low risk of ionizing radiation;

  • Better sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy when compared to CT techniques;

  • Non-invasive imaging of the pancreato-biliary system by magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography (MRCP).

  • Expensive;

  • Limited availability;

  • Problems associated with individuals having metal implants.
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with or without fine needle aspiration (FNA)

  • Can detect small cancerous lesions 2–5 mm in dimension;

  • Highest diagnostic accuracy;

  • Highly specific;

  • Loco-regional staging can be detected.

  • Cannot detect extra-abdominal metastasis;

  • Limited availability;

  • Requires a trained operator.
Positron emission tomography (PET)

  • Useful in detecting metastasis.

  • Staging of pancreatic cancer cannot be conclusively determined;

  • Expensive;

  • Exposure to radiation.