The Statesir Cancer Center at CentraState now offers pancreatic cancer screening for individuals whose family history puts them at a higher risk of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer screenings hold great promise in earlier diagnosis, at a stage when the cancer is more treatable. It is seldom detected early because there are very few symptoms associated with it until it has spread to other organs.
To be eligible for the screening, prospective patients must have two or more first-degree relatives, such as a parent, sibling, or child who had pancreatic cancer, or have one first-degree relative who had pancreatic cancer and have a known genetic mutation that may cause it, such as the BRCA gene.
“Early detection is important for any type of cancer, and now there is an option for pancreatic screenings for these high-risk individuals.” says Dr. Alexander Itskovich, Medical Director of the Statesir Cancer Center at CentraState. “Patients who don’t know their genetic backgrounds may be referred for genetic testing to determine if they would benefit from the screening.”
Those who are deemed eligible get a complete medical screening and a non-invasive scan to determine if cancer may be present.
Most health insurance providers cover genetic testing when ordered by a physician; prospective patients should check on their coverage to determine coverage. For more information call 732-308-4202 option 2.
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