Types of pancreatic cancer in EUS-FNA and chemotherapy.

To determine the variety of chemotherapy drugs administrable for malignant pancreatic neoplasm as a result of typification with endoscopic ultrasonography-fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). A retrospective assessment, in one center, over a period of 1 year. Only malignant pancreatic neoplasm diagnosed by EUS-FNA was recorded. Benign (serous cystic neoplasm) and potentially malignant lesions (mucinous cystic neoplasm and intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm) were excluded. Medical data were recorded and Oncological Pharmacy records were studied. Ductal adenocarcinoma were detected in 17 patients (N = 17/22), 2 of them with adenocarcinoma in signet ring and 1 with mucinous adenocarcinoma. The primary therapies used were as follows: Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy (3), biliary stent by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (3), radiological transhepatic percutaneous stent (2), intestinal bypass (2), and a gastric stent (1). The adjuvant drugs used were gemcitabine (10), erlotinib (3), and cetuximab (1), and also radiotherapy was used (1). An unresectable squamous cell carcinoma (N = 1) of the tail was detected, and gemcitabine + vinorelbine + fluorouracil + cisplatin used. Nonfunctioning neuroendocrine tumors were seen in 3 (N = 3) cases and long-acting somatostatin analogues were used (1); the remaining 2 patients showed resectable tumors and were resected accordingly. A metastasis to the pancreatic head in a hepatocellular carcinoma was found in 1 patient (N = 1), allowing specific treatment with sorafenib. Histopathologic analysis with EUS-FNA implies a variety of different treatments. Optimal management was achieved as a result of improved diagnosis, with the advent of new molecular genetic diagnostic methods facilitating the design of specific new therapy and neoadjuvant targeting strategies.

The global impact of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) regarding the survival of a pancreatic adenocarcinoma in a tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a type of neoplasm with a high mortality rate. There are a number of different procedures that may be followed in the study of the pancreas; one such procedure is endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the impact on patient survival of a biliopancreatic EUS performed 2 months prior to the first treatment session of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a retrospective evaluation of the medical case histories of our patients who had been diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma over a period of 10 years (1 Jan 1999-31 Dec 2008), combining the computer archives of our Pathological Anatomy (biopsy and cytology) Dept. and those of the Digestive Department's Endoscopic Ultrasonography Unit in order to exclude any pancreatic neoplasms derived from other origins. Information regarding the patients' age, sex, tumor location, and various diagnostic tests (EUS, EUS-fine-needle aspiration (FNA), helical computed tomography (CT), multidetector-row CT (MDCT)) were recorded, along with the different treatments that had been followed in each case. RESULT: When the survival rates of patients diagnosed with and without EUS were compared, evaluating the average survival rate and the survival rate after 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively, the differences in the results proved to be statistically significant (p = 0.014) in favor of the diagnosis with EUS. However, no significant differences were found when using other diagnostic imaging methods, such as EUS-FNA (p = 0.271), helical CT (p = 0.843), or MDCT (p = 0.738). To evaluate other influencing survival factors, a study was undertaken to record data depending on the sex of the patients. Results showed a higher survival rate in the female patients with a median of 6.57 months compared to that of the male patients with a median of 4.7 months (p = 0.014). Variables, which had resulted significant prior to treatment, were included in a multivariate Cox regression model, after which only the sex and EUS remained significant. CONCLUSION: A biliopancreatic EUS carried out during the 2 months prior to the start of the treatment of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a statistically significant impact on the patient survival rate. We believe that this is due to the possibility of a very-early-stage diagnosis of the adenocarcinoma permitted by the use of this technique.

Analisis de la situación de los programas de vigilancia, prevenicón y control de infecciones asociadas a los cuidados de salud de España / No disponible

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Evaluation of the bilio-pancreatic region using endoscopic ultrasonography in patients referred with and without abdominal pain and CA 19-9 serum level elevation.

CONTEXT: When assessing the bilio-pancreatic region, collating the findings of serum CA 19-9 values together with findings from various imaging tests--especially endoscopic ultrasonography--is not a simple issue in daily clinical practice. AIM: To assess the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography in an Endoscopic Ultrasonography Unit in two situations: patients with asymptomatic elevation of serum CA 19-9 and patients who presented with abdominal pain plus elevation of CA 19-9. METHODS: A retrospective study of those patients who underwent radial endoscopic ultrasonography between October 2004 and September 2005 in our institution, considering an elevation of CA 19-9 (equal to or greater than 37 U/mL) with or without symptoms. In each case, the parameters recorded were: levels of CA 19-9 one week before EUS, results from other imaging techniques (US, helical CT), and final diagnosis according to pathological and/or clinical evolution criteria. Patients with previous attacks of acute pancreatitis and also those who presented with bile duct dilation or space-occupying lesions in image studies (US and CT) were excluded. Twenty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Asymptomatic elevation of CA 19-9 was found in 15 patients while 7 patients had elevated CA 19-9 levels as well as pain of uncertain origin. The results of EUS in the asymptomatic patients were: chronic pancreatitis in 7 patients, no pancreatic alterations in 3 patients, and renal cysts, choledocholithiasis, microlithiasis and liver cirrhosis in one patient, respectively. In patients with abdominal pain, EUS showed chronic pancreatitis in 6 cases and adenocarcinoma of the tail of the pancreas in the remaining patient. CONCLUSIONS: When EUS was indicated for the asymptomatic elevation of CA 19-9, the main findings were benign diseases. EUS was useful in studying patients with idiopathic abdominal pain and a slight elevation of CA 19-9 since it allowed us to detect chronic pancreatitis and even early adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic tail.