My sister was diagnosed with a “precancerous lesion” on her pancreas. What does this mean and does she have treatment options?
Academic Title: Assistant Professor
Board Certifications:
Surgery
Precancerous cystic lesions commonly occur in the pancreas. These can be monitored by your physician with a variety of tests that include CT scan, MRI, or an endoscopic procedure that uses ultrasound to assess the lesion.
Low grade precancerous lesions are monitored over the course of years, and in many patients will never become a problem that necessitates treatment. On the other hand, high grade precancerous lesions, or those that are growing significantly are generally recommended to be removed via surgery to prevent the eventual development of pancreatic cancer.