U.S. doctors online nowAsk doctors free
Lakewood, CA
A 31-year-old male asked:

Is the accuracy high for finding early pancreatic cancer with normal mrcp (not the secretin-enhanced mrcp)?

2 doctor answers2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Stephen Southard
Internal Medicine 17 years experience
Yes: In the literature, the sensitivity, or ability of MRCP test to correctly identify those with pancreatic cancer, is in the 80% range and the specificity, or the ability of MRCP to correctly identify those without the pancreatic cancer, is in the high 90's%. Those are pretty good odds.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. James Brockenbrough
Thoracic Surgery 51 years experience
Depends: The secretin-enhanced MRCP is a technique to help image the pancreatic duct. The MRCP is just one arrow in the quiver to diagnose hepato-biliary and pancreatic disease non-invasively; especially in the setting of painless jaundice. It can often direct the next step along the diagnostic process.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Oct 20, 2016

Disclaimer:

Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.