Pancreatic cancer in adults: diagnosis and management

  • NICE guideline
  • NG85
  • Published: 
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Recommendations

People have the right to be involved in discussions and make informed decisions about their care, as described in NICE's information on making decisions about your care.

Making decisions using NICE guidelines explains how we use words to show the strength (or certainty) of our recommendations, and has information about prescribing medicines (including off-label use), professional guidelines, standards and laws (including on consent and mental capacity), and safeguarding.

Healthcare professionals should follow our general guidelines for people delivering care:

1.1 Diagnosis

People with obstructive jaundice

1.1.1

For people with obstructive jaundice and suspected pancreatic cancer, offer a pancreatic protocol CT scan before draining the bile duct.

1.1.2

If the diagnosis is still unclear, offer fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/CT (FDG‑PET/CT) and/or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with EUS‑guided tissue sampling.

1.1.3

Take a biliary brushing for cytology if:

  • endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is being used to relieve the biliary obstruction and

  • there is no tissue diagnosis.

People without jaundice who have pancreatic abnormalities on imaging

1.1.4

Offer a pancreatic protocol CT scan to people with pancreatic abnormalities but no jaundice.

1.1.5

If the diagnosis is still unclear, offer FDG‑PET/CT and/or EUS with EUS‑guided tissue sampling.

1.1.6

If cytological or histological samples are needed, offer EUS with EUS‑guided tissue sampling.

People with pancreatic cysts

1.1.7

Offer a pancreatic protocol CT scan or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRI/MRCP) to people with pancreatic cysts.

1.1.8

If more information is needed after either a pancreatic protocol CT scan or MRI/MRCP, offer the person whichever of these tests was not done.

1.1.9

Refer people with any of the following high-risk features for resection:

  • obstructive jaundice with cystic lesions in the head of the pancreas

  • enhancing solid component in the cyst

  • a main pancreatic duct that is 10 mm diameter or larger.

1.1.10

Offer EUS after CT and MRI/MRCP if:

  • more information on the likelihood of malignancy is needed or

  • it is not clear whether surgery is needed.

1.1.11

Consider fine-needle aspiration during EUS if more information on the likelihood of malignancy is needed.

1.1.12

When using fine-needle aspiration, perform carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assay in addition to cytology if there is sufficient sample.

People with inherited high risk of pancreatic cancer

1.1.14

Ask people with pancreatic cancer if any of their first-degree relatives has had it. Address any concerns the person has about inherited risk.

1.1.15

Offer surveillance for pancreatic cancer to people who meet any of the following criteria:

  • hereditary pancreatitis and a PRSS1 mutation

  • BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 or CDKN2A (p16) mutations, and 1 or more first-degree relatives with pancreatic cancer

  • Peutz–Jeghers syndrome.

1.1.16

Consider surveillance for pancreatic cancer for people who meet any of the following criteria:

  • 2 or more first-degree relatives with pancreatic cancer, across 2 or more generations

  • Lynch syndrome (mismatch repair gene [MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 or PMS2] mutations) and any first-degree relatives with pancreatic cancer.

1.1.17

Consider an MRI/MRCP or EUS for pancreatic cancer surveillance in people without hereditary pancreatitis.

1.1.18

Consider a pancreatic protocol CT scan for pancreatic cancer surveillance in people with hereditary pancreatitis and a PRSS1 mutation.

1.1.19

Do not offer EUS to detect pancreatic cancer in people with hereditary pancreatitis.

1.2 Deciding and delivering care

1.2.1

A specialist pancreatic cancer multidisciplinary team should make a shared decision with the person about the care that is needed.

1.2.2

The specialist pancreatic cancer multidisciplinary team should partner with local cancer units to deliver care.

1.3 Staging

1.3.1

For people with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer who have not had a pancreatic protocol CT scan, offer a pancreatic protocol CT scan that includes the chest, abdomen and pelvis.

1.3.2

Offer FDG-PET/CT to people with localised disease on CT who will be having cancer treatment (surgery, radiotherapy or systemic therapy).

1.3.3

If more information is needed to decide the person's clinical management, consider 1 or more of the following:

  • MRI, for suspected liver metastases

  • EUS, if more information is needed for tumour and node staging

  • laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound, for suspected small-volume peritoneal and/or liver metastases if resectional surgery is possible.

    See the section on deciding and delivering care for recommendations on how care should be agreed and delivered.

1.4 Psychological support

1.4.1

Throughout the person's care, assess the psychological impact of:

  • fatigue

  • pain

  • gastrointestinal symptoms (including changes to appetite)

  • nutrition

  • anxiety

  • depression.

1.5 Pain management

1.5.1

Consider EUS-guided or image-guided percutaneous neurolytic coeliac plexus block to manage pain for people with pancreatic cancer who:

  • have uncontrolled pancreatic pain or

  • are experiencing unacceptable opioid adverse effects or

  • are receiving escalating doses of analgesics.

1.5.2

Do not offer thoracic splanchnicectomy to people with pancreatic cancer.

1.6 Nutritional management

In September 2024, supplies of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy were disrupted, so availability varies. Use the Specialist Pharmacy Service's prescribing and ordering available pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies resource and tool to help identify equivalent licensed products.

1.6.1

Offer enteric-coated pancreatin for people with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

1.6.2

Consider enteric-coated pancreatin before and after pancreatic cancer resection.

1.6.3

Do not offer fish oils as a nutritional intervention to manage weight loss in people with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

1.6.4

For people who have had pancreatoduodenectomy and who have a functioning gut, offer early enteral nutrition (including oral and tube feeding) rather than parenteral nutrition.

1.7 Relieving biliary and duodenal obstruction

Biliary obstruction

1.7.1

Offer resectional surgery rather than preoperative biliary drainage to people who:

  • have resectable pancreatic cancer and obstructive jaundice and

  • are well enough for the procedure and

  • are not enrolled in a clinical trial that requires preoperative biliary drainage.

1.7.2

During attempted resection for pancreatic cancer, consider surgical biliary bypass if the cancer is found to be unresectable.

1.7.3

If biliary drainage is needed in a person who has resectable pancreatic cancer and obstructive jaundice and is not yet fit enough for resectional surgery, offer endoscopically placed self‑expanding metal stents.

1.7.4

For people with suspected pancreatic cancer who may need their stent removed later on, consider endoscopically placed self-expanding fully covered metal stents.

1.7.5

Offer endoscopically placed self-expanding metal stents rather than surgical biliary bypass to people with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

Duodenal obstruction

1.7.6

During attempted resection for head of pancreas cancer, consider prophylactic gastrojejunostomy if the cancer is found to be unresectable.

1.7.7

If possible, relieve symptomatic duodenal obstruction caused by unresectable pancreatic cancer.

1.7.8

When deciding between gastrojejunostomy and duodenal stent placement, consider gastrojejunostomy for people with a more favourable prognosis.

1.8 Managing resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer

Neoadjuvant therapy

1.8.1

Only consider neoadjuvant therapy for people with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer as part of a clinical trial.

1.8.2

Only consider neoadjuvant therapy for people with resectable pancreatic cancer as part of a clinical trial.

Surgery

1.8.3

For people having surgery for head of pancreas cancer, consider pylorus-preserving resection if the tumour can be adequately resected.

1.8.4

Consider standard lymphadenectomy, rather than extended lymphadenectomy for people having head of pancreas resection.

Adjuvant therapy

1.8.5

Start adjuvant therapy once the person has had time to recover from surgery and as soon as they are well enough to tolerate all 6 cycles.

1.8.6

Offer adjuvant gemcitabine plus capecitabine to people who have had sufficient time to recover after pancreatic cancer resection.

In February 2018, this was an off-label use. See NICE's information on prescribing medicines.

Follow-up for resected pancreatic cancer

1.8.8

For people who have had resection, offer ongoing specialist assessment and care to identify and manage any problems resulting from surgery.

1.8.9

For people who have new, unexplained or unresolved symptoms after treatment, provide access to specialist investigation and support services.

1.9 Managing unresectable pancreatic cancer

Locally advanced pancreatic cancer

1.9.1

Offer systemic combination chemotherapy to people with locally advanced pancreatic cancer who are well enough to tolerate it.

1.9.2

Consider gemcitabine for people with locally advanced pancreatic cancer who are not well enough to tolerate combination chemotherapy.

1.9.3

When using chemoradiotherapy, consider capecitabine as the radiosensitiser.

Metastatic pancreatic cancer

First-line treatment
1.9.4

Offer FOLFIRINOX to people with metastatic pancreatic cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 1.

In February 2018, this was an off-label use. See NICE's information on prescribing medicines.

1.9.5

Consider gemcitabine combination therapy for people who are not well enough to tolerate FOLFIRINOX.

Paclitaxel as albumin-bound nanoparticles (nab-paclitaxel) with gemcitabine is recommended as an option in NICE technology appraisal guidance for untreated metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas if other combination chemotherapies are unsuitable and people would otherwise have gemcitabine monotherapy. For full details, see the guidance on nab-paclitaxel with gemcitabine (TA476, 2017).

In September 2025, use of some gemcitabine combination therapies was off-label. See NICE's information on prescribing medicines.

1.9.6

Offer gemcitabine to people who are not well enough to tolerate combination chemotherapy.

Second-line treatment
1.9.7

Consider oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy as second-line treatment for people who have not had first-line oxaliplatin.

In February 2018, this was an off-label use. See NICE's information on prescribing medicines.

1.9.8

Consider gemcitabine-based chemotherapy as second-line treatment for people whose cancer has progressed after first-line FOLFIRINOX.

1.9.9

Pegylated liposomal irinotecan with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin is not recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance for treating metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas that has progressed after gemcitabine-based therapy. For full details, see the guidance on pegylated liposomal irinotecan (TA440, 2017).

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis

Neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) fusion-positive solid tumours

1.9.11

For NTRK inhibitors recommended as options in NICE technology appraisal guidance through the Cancer Drugs Fund for treating locally advanced or metastatic NTRK fusion-positive solid tumours when there are no other satisfactory treatment options, see the guidance on: