title: What is the current role of endoscopic ultrasonography in oesophageal cancer?
abstract: Endoscopic ultrasonography is, probably, the most significant progress in gastrointestinal endoscopy of the last few years, and it is on the way to becoming the gold standard for pre-treatment staging of oesophageal carcinoma. Once computed tomography scan has ruled out distant metastases or evident local invasion, endoscopic ultrasonography plays a key role in an adjunctive evaluation and planning of treatment. The diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography in oesophageal cancer is excellent. Its main limitations are: poor differentiation between early mucosal and submucosal cancer, insufficient accuracy in detecting early lymph node invasion, and lack of complete tumour evaluation in cases of high-grade strictures. The role of endoscopic ultrasonography in post-treatment assessment is still limited by some artifacts. However, all these limitations will soon be overcome by some technical improvements.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, National Cancer Center, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO), Aviano, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sozzi
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valentini
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D019160:Endosonography; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods