Role of abdominal ultrasonography in clinical staging of pancreatic carcinoma: a tertiary center experience

Abstract

INTROduCTIONPancreatic carcinoma remains one of the leading causes of cancer -related deaths in the world. In the years from 2000 to 2009, the incidence rate in the United States increased by 0.9% per year and the death rate increased by 0.5% per year.1 The overall 5 -year survival rate reported worldwide does not exceed 5%. Even for patients with a tumor that has been surgically removed, the 5 -year survival is only about 20% to 25%. In 2009 in Poland, pancreatic cancer was the second cause of death due to malignant gastrointestinal neoplasms in women and the third one in men. 2Over the years, various radiological imaging modalities have been used for the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer, including abdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), laparoscopy, and endoscopic ultrasonography.Currently, thin -section, contrast -enhanced multi -detector CT is regarded as the investigation of choice in patients with pancreatic cancer. The sensitivity of CT in detecting pancreatic cancer is between 75% and 100% with specificity of 70% to 100%.3,4 MRI has been proved to be effective in the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancers; therefore, it should be used in centers where these facilities are readily available. Positron emission tomography-CT is a useful complementary investigation to exclude metastases outside the abdomen. Staging laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasonography are important in the restaging of locally advanced lesions after neoadjuvant therapy.3 However, in view of wide availability, noninvasiveness, low cost, and relatively high diagnostic accuracy, abdominal ultrasonography is routinely used as the first -line diagnostic modality in pancreatic cancer, and its sensitivity ORIGINAL ARTICLERole of abdominal ultrasonography in clinical staging of pancreatic carcinoma: a tertiary center experience Piotr Kulig, Radosław Pach, Jan Kulig 1st Department of General Surgery, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, PolandCorrespondence to: dr n. med. Radoslaw Pach, I Katedra Chirurgii Ogólnej, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Collegium Medicum, ul. Kopernika 40, Poland, AbsTRACTINTROduCTION Various imaging modalities are used for the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer. Abdominal ultrasonography is the most widely available method and usually the first -line diagnostic tool used in patients with suspicion of pancreatic carcinoma.