Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer Using Endoscopic Ultrasound

Despite a low incidence, the mortality rate of pancreatic cancer (PC) is high. Early detection and optimal treatment based on the findings of various imaging modalities are essential to improve the survival rate of patients with PC. Multi-detector (MD) row computed tomography (CT) is currently the standard imaging modality for evaluating PC worldwide. However, 10% of PC tumors can be iso-attenuated on CT and thus invisible, especially when ≤2 cm. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) can detect tumors that are <10 cm at a higher rate than CT and might be useful for diagnosing high-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN3) as well as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, as they can both detect local irregular stenosis of the pancreatic duct.