Because of what I know about pancreatic cancer and the inability of typical scans to gets really good looks at the organ, I would say yes. There is a new scan that is a 68 _____, that I learned about from a member on here and it reveals neuroendocrine tumors much better than a CT scan. It was just approved by the FDA and there are not a huge number of facilities using it yet and insurance may be a problem, but that may be easier than and endoscopy. My advice is to always find a high volume pancreas center - somewhere they do lots of pancreatic procedures. Mayo is a good start, but if that is not reasonable geographically, find out from your GI or another where the closest high volume center is. I am fortunate to have some of the best pancreatic docs in the country in Charleston, SC which is about a 3 hour drive from my home. I visit about 3-4 times a year for different procedures. One thing I did not mention in my previous post is that if you are hospitalized with pancreatitis (usually acute), you are NPO'ed (nothing by mouth) until your pancreatic enzymes return to something approaching normalcy. This is to rest your pancreas and keep it from trying to produce digestive enzymes. If I have a really bad flare, I will try to survive on gatorade (low carb) and yogurt if I have to have some nutrition. At 225 lbs., I am not going to starve anytime soon, but do have to have enough carbs to maintain my blood sugar. I am not a doctor, but just play one on here - joking of course. You have my ear and my prayers and they are most valuable in reverse order.

Take care, Gary

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