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


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to assess the clinical value of abdominal ultrasonography used in a tertiary center for staging of pancreatic carcinoma.


METHODS
This prospective clinical trial included 454 consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer, who underwent a surgery between 2000 and 2012. The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography was established for each T category and lymph node involvement. Computed tomography and intraoperative staging of the pancreatic cancer were used as reference methods.


RESULTS
The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in cancer staging according to T categories was 94.1% for T1, 95.7% for T2, 85.4% for T3, and 81.7% for T4 tumors. The diagnostic accuracy of abdominal ultrasonography in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis and assessment of tumor resectability was 66.1% and 74.8%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study summarize 12 years of our experience with abdominal ultrasonography in patients with pancreatic cancer and confirm that ultrasonography remains a valuable diagnostic modality in this patient group.
Piotr
P
Kulig
Radosław
R
Pach
Jan
J
Kulig
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D011044:Poland; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography