The National Cancer Institute's Pancreatic Cancer: A Summary of NCI's Portfolio and Highlight of Recent Research Progress provides a retrospective analysis of progress such as trends in numbers of NCI-funded pancreatic cancer research projects, publications, initiatives, and clinical trials. In 2000, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) convened the Pancreatic Cancer Progress Review Group (PRG) to review the pancreatic cancer research field and make recommendations concerning the most urgent needs and promising directions for future NCI investment. The PRG's report, Pancreatic Cancer: An Agenda for Action provided priority recommendations in six major areas: Health of the Field and Overarching Issues; Tumor Biology; Risk, Prevention, Screening, and Diagnosis; Therapy; Health Services Research: Scientific Toolkit. In 2007, a Clinical Trials Planning Meeting on Pancreas Cancer Treatment was convened to discuss the integration of basic and clinical knowledge in design of clinical trials in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A Consensus Report of the meeting published in November 2009 provided recommendations in the following emphasis areas: New Targets for Drug Development; Utility of Preclinical Models; Future Clinical Trials; Establishment of Biorepositories; Development of Biomarkers. NCI's efforts in pancreatic cancer research have increased our understanding of the biological basis for pancreatic cancer, developed potential means to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the disease, and expanded pancreatic cancer research capacity. The following or some research highlights in the five key priority areas identified by the PRG: Tumor Biology – Research on the tumor biology of pancreatic cancer has increased understanding of factors critical to key steps in the progression of pancreatic cancers; Risk, Prevention, Screening, and Diagnosis – Results of NCI-sponsored research related to the risk, prevention, screening, and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer have identified potential markers associated with pancreatic cancer risk as well as potential diagnostic markers; Therapy – NCI-sponsored research on therapy for pancreatic cancer has investigated optimal timing, delivery, and drug combinations that may improve the treatment of pancreatic cancer.~

New technologies and improved understanding of the genesis and progression of various cancers have added to the enthusiasm for potential new strategies to improve screening and early detection of cancer. Research is also under way to evaluate refinements in current screening approaches, including determining optimal screening intervals, the ages at which screening should begin and end, as well as more specific estimates of the potential risks and benefits of screening for certain populations, such as racial and ethnic minority populations and people who have elevated risk for specific cancers. However, there remain significant challenges to developing, validating, and effectively implementing new cancer screening approaches. Guidelines for screening issued by different organizations vary considerably with no clear way of deciding which guidelines are most trustworthy. There is also a need to improve access to high-quality cancer screening and follow-up care, particularly in low-resource communities and among populations who are underserved or have numerous barriers to receiving care. Â To examine the challenges and opportunities related to improving current approaches to cancer screening, as well as the evidence base for novel cancer screening methods, the National Cancer Policy Forum held a workshop, Advancing Progress in the Development and Implementation of Effective, High-Quality Cancer Screening, on March 2-3, 2020, in Washington, DC. This workshop convened a broad range of experts, including clinicians, researchers, statisticians, and patient advocates, as well as representatives of health care organizations, academic medical centers, insurers, and federal agencies. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop and highlights suggestions from individual participants regarding how to improve cancer screening.