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BACKGROUND: The technique to analyze circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in body fluid (so-called “liquid biopsy”) is recently developed. AIMS: Our aim was to assess the utility of liquid biopsy for predicting progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after surgical resection or chemotherapy. METHODS: A total of 72 patients with PDAC were retrospectively enrolled for this study, 33 treated surgically and 39 given chemotherapy, either FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin/irinotecan/fluorouracil/leucovorin) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel. Prior to treatment, patients were screened for the presence of KRAS mutations (G12D and G12V) in plasma using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, and outcomes were compared. RESULTS: KRAS mutations were identified in plasma samples of 12 patients (36%) underwent surgical resection. Patients with plasma KRAS mutations had significantly shorter disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (p

The sensitivity of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for diagnosing the recurrence of pancreatic cancer is usually low because of difficulties in obtaining adequate samples for pathological examinations. We evaluated the efficacy of highly sensitive KRAS mutation analysis using EUS-FNA washes to detect cancer recurrence. Nineteen consecutive patients with suspected pancreatic cancer recurrence after surgical resection were enrolled. All underwent EUS-FNA, and samples were obtained for pathological examination. After the first session, the inside of the FNA needle was washed with saline for DNA extraction. KRAS mutations were examined using digital droplet PCR (dPCR). The median needle puncture number used to obtain adequate pathological samples was two (range 1–6). In ten patients pathologically diagnosed with malignant pancreatic cancer, nine patients tested positive for a KRAS mutation. All patients who were not diagnosed with a malignant pancreatic cancer tested negative for a KRAS mutation. About half of surgically resected primary cancers (9/19) showed double KRAS mutations (G12V and G12D); however, all but one wash sample showed a single KRAS mutation, G12D. After including one patient who showed a malignant recurrence during follow-up, the sensitivities of a pathological diagnosis and KRAS analysis to detect recurrence were 90.9% and 81.8%, respectively. KRAS mutation analysis of needle wash samples using dPCR is a new methodology for the diagnosis of the local recurrence of pancreatic cancer. The diagnostic ability of dPCR with a one-time needle wash sample was comparable to a pathological diagnosis with multiple samplings.

Background/Aims This study aimed to examine the diagnostic ability of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for major vascular invasion in pancreatic cancer and to evaluate the relationship between EUS findings and pathological distance. Methods In total, 57 consecutive patients who underwent EUS for pancreatic cancer before surgery were retrospectively reviewed. EUS image findings were divided into four types according to the relationship between the tumor and major vessel (types 1 and 2: invasion, types 3 and 4: non-invasion). We also compared the EUS findings and pathologically measured distances between the tumors and evaluated vessels. Results The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of EUS diagnosis for vascular invasion were 89%, 92%, and 91%, respectively, in the veins and 83%, 94%, and 93%, respectively, in the arteries. The pathologically evaluated distances of cases with type 2 EUS findings were significantly shorter than those of cases with type 3 EUS findings in both the major veins (median [interquartile range], 96 [0–742] µm vs. 2,833 [1,076–5,694] µm, p=0.012) and arteries (623 [0–854] µm vs. 3,097 [1,396–6,000] µm, p=0.0061). All cases with a distance of ≥1,000 µm between the tumors and main vessels were correctly diagnosed. Conclusions Tumors at a distance ≥1,000 µm from the main vessels were correctly diagnosed by EUS.

PURPOSE: Histological grading is important for the treatment algorithm in pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNEN). The present study examined the efficacy of contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) and time-intensity curve (TIC) analysis of PNEN diagnosis and grading. METHODS: TIC analysis was performed in 30 patients using data obtained from CH-EUS, and a histopathological diagnosis was made via EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration or surgical resection. The TIC parameters were analyzed by dividing them into G1/G2 and G3/NEC groups. Then, patients were classified into non-aggressive and aggressive groups and evaluated. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were classified as G1/G2, and four as G3/NEC. From the TIC analysis, five parameters were obtained (I: echo intensity change, II: time for peak enhancement, III: speed of contrast, IV: decrease rate for enhancement, and V: enhancement ratio for node/pancreatic parenchyma). Three of these parameters (I, IV, and V) showed high diagnostic performance. Using the cutoff value obtained from the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the correct diagnostic rates of parameters I, IV, and V were 96.7%, 100%, and 100%, respectively, between G1/G2 and G3/NEC. A total of 21 patients were classified into the non-aggressive group, and nine into the aggressive group. Using the cutoff value obtained from the ROC analysis, the accurate diagnostic rates of I, IV, and V were 86.7%, 86.7%, and 88.5%, respectively, between the non-aggressive and aggressive groups. CONCLUSION: CH-EUS and TIC analysis showed high diagnostic accuracy for grade diagnosis of PNEN. Quantitative perfusion analysis is useful to predict PNEN grade diagnosis preoperatively.

Background Advanced pancreatic cancer is accompanied not only by bile duct obstruction, but also occasionally by duodenal obstruction. With new advances in chemotherapy and improvement in the management of stent dysfunction, the life expectancy of patients with pancreatic cancer has increased. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer, as well as to analyze the prognostic factors, following endoscopic double stenting. Methods This retrospective study was conducted from January 1, 2007 to October 31, 2015 at an academic center. Fifty consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer who had undergone endoscopic double stenting, comprising duodenal and biliary stenting, were analyzed. We reviewed the patients records and analyzed the data of stent dysfunction rates after double stenting, reintervention for stent dysfunction, chemotherapy after double stenting, adverse events associated with chemotherapy after double stenting, survival times following double stenting, and overall survival times. The hospital’s institutional review board for human research approved this study. Results The overall survival time and the survival time following double stenting were 10.9 months (IQR 6.0–18.4 months) and 2.4 months (IQR 1.4–5.2 months), respectively. After double stenting, duodenal stent dysfunction occurred in 6 patients (12%), and biliary stent dysfunction occurred in 12 patients (24%), respectively. All patients who experienced stent dysfunction underwent endoscopic reintervention, and all of the procedures were successful. Twenty-one (42%) patients were treated with chemotherapy post double stenting; 9 patients received chemotherapy as a first-line treatment, 9 as a second-line treatment, and 3 as a third-line treatment. During chemotherapy, 8 (38%) patients had grade 3–4 adverse events, which were manageable. Chemotherapy post double stenting (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.059–0.60; P = .0051), reintervention for biliary stent dysfunction (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.081–0.50; P = .0002), and performance status (

Background and study aims Endoscopic treatment for post-operative bile is technically challenging in patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy. This study evaluated the effectiveness of using a short-type double-balloon enteroscope to treat postoperative bile leakage after hepaticojejunostomy.

We report the cases of two patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) using metallic stents (MS) for recurrent cholangitis due to benign biliary stenosis. The patients had repeatedly undergone double-balloon endoscopy and anastomotic stenosis. Thus, EUS-HGS was performed. The procedures were successful, and placement of a covered metallic stent (C-MS) relieved cholangitis. The occurrence of cholangitis was subsequently considerably reduced. For patients with postoperative recurrent cholangitis, EUS-HGS with MS should be considered because of its efficacy and safety.

BackgroundEndoscopic ultrasound is useful for obtaining high-resolution images of pancreaticobiliary diseases, but is not readily available for physical checkups. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of single-session esophagogastroduodenoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound in the detection of upper-gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary diseases using a forward-viewing radial scan ultrasonic endoscope.MethodsA total of 148 patients who were scheduled for upper-gastrointestinal screening using an endoscope were prospectively included. All patients were examined by EUS in combination with EGD using a forward-viewing radial scan ultrasonic endoscope. The primary endpoint was the safety of the procedures. The secondary endpoints were the prevalence of diseases, the basal imaging capability of EUS, the procedure time, total dose of propofol, and the correlation between background factors and the prevalence of pancreatic disease. The imaging capability at each region was scored as 0 (invisible) to 2 (sufficient visualization to evaluate the organs).ResultsIntraoperative hypotension occurred as an adverse event of intravenous anesthesia in one patient. There were 82 pancreaticobiliary findings and 165 upper-gastrointestinal findings (malignancy not included). Follicular lymphoma of the intra-abdominal lymph nodes was detected in one patient. The mean imaging scores of each section were 1.95 (pancreatic head and papilla), 2.0 (pancreatic body), 1.99 (pancreatic tail), and 1.89 (common bile duct and gallbladder). Age, history of diabetes mellitus, and smoking history were significantly associated with the prevalence of pancreatic diseases.ConclusionThe simultaneous performance of EGD and EUS using a new ultrasonic endoscope is tolerable and safe for upper-gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary screening.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA; EUS-FNA) allows for diagnostic tissue specimens from various regions to be analyzed. However, diagnosing recurrent pancreaticobiliary cancer after surgery is sometimes difficult. We evaluated the efficacy of EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of local recurrence of pancreaticobiliary cancer and analyzed the factors associated with falsenegative results. Methods: Fifty-one consecutive patients who underwent EUS-FNA due to suspected recurrence of pancreaticobiliary cancer after surgery in an academic center were retrospectively analyzed. The criteria for EUS-FNA were a resected margin or remnant pancreas mass, round swollen lymph node (≥10 mm in diameter), and soft-tissue enhancement around a major artery. Patients with suspected liver metastasis or malignant ascites were excluded. Results: Thirty-nine of the 51 patients had pancreatic cancer; the remaining 12 had biliary cancer. The target sites for EUS-FNA were the soft tissue around a major artery (n=22, 43%), the resected margin or remnant pancreas (n=12, 24%), and the lymph nodes (n=17, 33%). The median size of the suspected recurrent lesions was 15 mm (range, 8 to 40 mm). The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of EUS-FNA for the diagnosis of recurrence was 84% (32/38), 100% (13/13), and 88% (45/51), respectively. FNA of the soft tissue around major arteries (odds ratio, 8.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 166.7; p=0.033) was significantly associated with a falsenegative diagnosis in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: EUS-FNA is useful for diagnosing recurrent cancer, even after pancreaticobiliary surgery. The diagnoses of recurrence at soft-tissue sites should be interpreted with caution.

Background and Aims. Recurrent pancreatitis associated with pancreatic strictures requires treatment with endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP), but it is sometimes technically unsuccessful. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic drainage (EUS-PD) was developed as an alternative to a surgical approach after failed ERP; however, the indications for EUS-PD are unclear. In this study, we evaluated the outcomes of EUS-PD and established the indications for EUS-PD. Methods. A total of 15 patients had indications for EUS-PD for recurrent pancreatitis due to pancreatic strictures. There were eight patients with benign pancreatic strictures and seven with malignant pancreatic strictures. The success rate, adverse events, and long-term outcomes were evaluated. Results. The technical success rates of benign and malignant strictures were 75% (6/8) and 100% (7/7), respectively, and clinical success was achieved in 100% (6/6) and 87.5% of cases (6/7), respectively. Rendezvous procedures were performed in two patients with benign strictures. The adverse event (AE) rate was 26.7% (4/15) and included cases of peritonitis, bleeding, and stent migration. Reinterventions were performed in three patients with benign strictures and two with malignant strictures. Conclusions. EUS-PD was an appropriate treatment for not only benign strictures but also malignant strictures with recurrent pancreatitis after failed ERP. However, the AE rate was high, and reinterventions were required in some cases during long-term follow-up. The indications for EUS-PD should be considered carefully, and careful follow-up is needed.