title: Preoperative endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration does not impair survival of patients with resected pancreatic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) allows preoperative tissue confirmation of malignancy, but fear of tumour cell dissemination along the needle track has limited its use. We hypothesised that if tumour cell dissemination occurs with EUS-FNA, survival after complete resection would be impaired. We aimed to evaluate the association of preoperative EUS-FNA with long-term outcomes of patients with resected pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data, we identified patients with locoregional pancreatic cancer who underwent curative intent surgery from 1998 to 2009. The patients who received EUS-FNA within the peridiagnostic period were included in the EUS-FNA group. Patients who did not receive EUS evaluation or who underwent EUS without FNA were included in the non-EUS-FNA group. Overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival were compared after controlling for relevant covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2034 patients with pancreatic cancer were included (90% pancreatic adenocarcinoma). Of these, 498 (24%) patients were in EUS-FNA group. Patients with multiple comorbidities and more recent diagnosis were more likely to receive EUS-FNA. In multivariate analysis, after controlling for age, race, gender, tumour histology, tumour stage, tumour grade, tumour location, SEER site, year of diagnosis, undergoing percutaneous aspiration/biopsy, Charlson Comorbidity Index, radiation and chemotherapy, EUS-FNA was marginally associated with improved overall survival (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.99), but did not affect cancer-specific survival (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative EUS-FNA was not associated with increased risk of mortality. These data suggest that EUS-FNA can be safely performed for the work-up of suspicious pancreatic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Saowanee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ngamruengphong
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Kristi M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Nilay D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D018282:Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D061765:Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D018426:SEER Program; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASONOGRAPHY; PANCREATIC CANCER