State-of-the-art endoscopic procedures for pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is the twelfth most common cancer worldwide, taking the fourth place in cancer-related mortality in western countries. Despite significant efforts in understanding the tumor biology of pancreatic cancer and introducing new technologies and therapies to improve the detection, staging and treatment of this disease, pancreatic cancer continues to have a high and almost unchanged mortality. In the last few decades, the development of techniques such as endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound have allowed us to directly access the pancreaticobiliary system and fight pancreatic cancer and its complications from different fronts. Our goal with this review is to discuss the most cutting-edge endoscopic techniques available in our armamentarium to diagnose, stage and treat pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: biliary drainage; diagnosis; endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; endoscopic ultrasound; endoscopy; pancreatic cancer; screening; staging; treatment.