Comparison of endoscopic ultrasonography and multidetector computed tomography for detecting and staging pancreatic...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Oncology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Accurate preoperative detection and staging of pancreatic cancer are crucial for identifying patients eligible for surgical resection.
• Locoregional pancreatic cancer amenable to surgery requires precise diagnostic tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and multidetector computed tomography (CT) in detecting, staging, and determining the resectability of pancreatic cancer.
• To evaluate the efficacy of EUS versus CT for locoregional pancreatic cancer.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary referral hospital.
• 120 participants with suspected locoregional pancreatic cancer underwent both EUS and multidetector CT.
• The study assessed cancer detection, staging accuracy, and resectability based on surgical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Endoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated higher sensitivity (98%) than CT (86%) in detecting pancreatic masses (P=0.012).
• EUS was superior to CT for tumor staging accuracy (67% vs. 41%; P<0.001) but equivalent for nodal staging.
• Both EUS and CT showed comparable accuracy in identifying resectable (88% vs. 92%) and unresectable (68% vs. 64%) tumors.

Conclusions:

• Endoscopic ultrasonography is superior to multidetector CT for pancreatic cancer detection and staging.
• EUS and CT have similar performance for nodal staging and assessing resectability in suspected nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer.
• Findings support EUS as a valuable tool for preoperative evaluation of pancreatic cancer.