The impact of pancreatic cancer screening on life expectancy: A systematic review of modeling studies

Evidence supporting the effectiveness of pancreatic cancer (PC) screening is scant. Most clinical studies concern small populations with short follow‐up durations. Mathematical models are useful to estimate long‐term effects of PC screening using short‐term indicators. This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of PC screening on life expectancy (LE) in model‐based studies. Therefore, we searched four databases (Embase, Medline, Web‐of‐science, Cochrane) until 30 May 2022 to identify model‐based studies evaluating the impact of PC screening on LE in different risk populations. Two authors independently screened identified papers, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of studies. A descriptive analysis was performed and the impact of screening strategies on LE of different risk groups was reported. Our search resulted in 419 studies, of which eight met the eligibility criteria (mathematical model, PC screening, LE). Reported relative risks (RR) for PC varied from 1 to 70. In higher risk individuals (RR > 5), annual screening (by imaging with 56% sensitivity for HGD/early stage PC) predicted to increase LE of screened individuals by 20 to 260 days. In the general population, one‐time PC screening was estimated to decrease LE (2‐110 days), depending on the test characteristics and treatment mortality risk. In conclusion, although the models use different and sometimes outdated or unrealistic assumptions, it seems that PC screening in high‐risk populations improves LE, and that this gain increases with a higher PC risk. Updated model studies, with data from large clinical trials are necessary to predict the long‐term effect of PC screening more accurately. What's new? Robust evidence on the effectiveness of pancreatic cancer screening is lacking, as published studies are mostly cohort studies, limited in size and duration. Here, the authors performed a systematic review to evaluate the impact of pancreatic cancer screening on life expectancy as determined in model‐based studies. The results show that, while it could be detrimental in the general population, pancreatic cancer screening in high‐risk populations may increase life expectancy. Updated model studies, with data from large clinical trials, are necessary to predict the long‐term effect of pancreatic cancer screening more accurately.