Fine needle aspiration cytology guided by ultrasound endoscopy in the diagnosis of ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Worldwide this type of cancer is responsible for 227,000 deaths per year. Pancreatic cancer is multifactorial, with smoking being the main risk factor. Endoscopic ultrasoundguided fine needle aspiration is a highly effective technique for the diagnosis of neoplastic lesions of the pancreas. Cytological diagnosis by this technique should be performed under the guidelines of the pancreatic-biliary system of the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology. These guidelines address indications, techniques, terminology and nomenclature, ancillary studies and post-procedure management, as well as cytological criteria for diagnosis. The specificity of a positive or malignant interpretation for the pancreatic fine needle aspiration corresponds to 90-95% in most studies.