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Signs of pancreatic cancer can be detected by examining tissue from inside the duodenum.
Pancreatic cancer, unseen at its earliest stages by any other method, can be detected by examining tissue from inside the duodenum, the uppermost section of the small intestine. The pancreatic duct communicates with the duodenum via the Ampulla of Vater. Researchers have shown that cells in a roughly 3 cm radius from this feature can show signs of the presence of cancer.
Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation
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