Published online Mar 28, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i12.1863
Peer-review started: December 27, 2022
First decision: January 22, 2023
Revised: February 2, 2023
Accepted: March 15, 2023
Article in press: March 15, 2023
Published online: March 28, 2023
Processing time: 91 Days and 9.8 Hours
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is speculated to become the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality by 2030, a high mortality rate considering the number of cases. Surgery and chemotherapy are the main treatment options, but they are burdensome for patients. A clear histological diagnosis is needed to determine a treatment plan, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided tissue acquisition (TA) is a suitable technique that does not worsen the cancer-specific prognosis even for lesions at risk of needle tract seeding. With the development of personalized medicine and precision treatment, there has been an increasing demand to increase cell counts and collect specimens while preserving tissue structure, leading to the development of the fine-needle biopsy (FNB) needle. EUS-FNB is rapidly replacing EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) as the procedure of choice for EUS-TA of pancreatic cancer. However, EUS-FNA is sometimes necessary where the FNB needle cannot penetrate small hard lesions, so it is important clinicians are familiar with both. Given these recent dev-elopments, we present an up-to-date review of the role of EUS-TA in pancreatic cancer. Particularly, technical aspects, such as needle caliber, negative pressure, and puncture methods, for obtaining an adequate specimen in EUS-TA are discussed.
Core Tip: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided tissue acquisition (TA) began in 1992 as EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Recently, with the development of personalized medicine and precision treatment, the fine-needle biopsy (FNB) needle was developed. EUS-FNB is rapidly replacing EUS-FNA for pancreatic cancer. The EUS-TA strategy with three or more punctures, the stylet retraction method, the torque or fanning technique, and a 22-G or thicker FNB needle may be effective in patients with solid pancreatic tumors scheduled for treatment, including personalized medicine. It is also important clinicians are familiar with both procedures, as EUS-FNA is occasionally necessary when FNB is unsuccessful.