The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is recommending the use of PET/CT to hasten the early diagnosis of suspected pancreatic cancer.
The U.K. organization estimates that PET/CT could reduce the need for patients to undergo surgery by as much as 20%, if the disease is detected and treatment can begin sooner. The use of the hybrid modality also could limit damaging side effects for patients, NICE stated.
"The PET/CT scan could have a significant impact on the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer," said Prof. Mark Baker, director of the center for guidelines at NICE. "It will mean that the staging process is more effective so that patients stand a better chance of getting the right treatment, at the right time."
Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the U.K., with more than 9,500 new cases diagnosed each year.
