Imaging Diagnostics In Pancreatic Cancer

This book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of imaging modalities used in the diagnosis, staging, and management of pancreatic cancer. In addition to profiling the most commonly-used imaging modalities for pancreatic cancer, the text reviews recent advances in endoscopic ultrasound, staging characteristics utilized in determining appropriate treatment options, and reviews the role of imaging in pancreatic cancer screening in specialized patient populations. The book also spotlights the use of radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer in patients who cannot have surgery, as well as when fiducial marker placement should be considered in targeting a malignancy. Written by experts in the field, Imaging Diagnostics in Pancreatic Cancer: A Clinical Guide is a valuable resource for gastroenterologists, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and other practitioners who manage patients with pancreatic cancer.

This book provides state of the art knowledge on a broad range of clinical issues in pancreatic cancer, covering topics from screening and pathophysiology to surgical treatments. In particular, the focus is on current controversies and on evidence-based surgical techniques. Further aspects considered include the management of precancerous lesions, diagnostic methods, perioperative care and nonsurgical treatment. The description of surgical methods is supported by many helpful illustrations and important technical issues are carefully addressed. Determination of resectability and extent of surgery is also discussed. Based on recent developments in surgical techniques, some surgeons are performing more and more radical operations. It is essential, however, that surgical strategy is based on the best available evidence and surgeons will find that this book offers valuable help in achieving this aim. In addition, it will be a great asset in clinical practice for all who are involved or interested in the management of pancreatic cancer.

The insidious nature of disease taken into account, the majority of patients with chronic or malignant pancreatic disease present late in their course and even with early diagnosis, mortality rates of pancreatic cancer are high. In anticipation of a better understanding of the molecular biology and the epigenesis in the origin and progression of disease, benign and malignant as well, the most challenging items in the diagnosis and management reside at present in endoscopic and radiological pancreatic imaging. In these the diagnosis of early chronic pancreatitis, of early pancreatic cancer, the differentiation of a pancreatic mass in the setting of chronic pancreatitis and the accurate staging of potentially respectable pancreatic cancer with respect to the dorsal extension are of utmost importance. Focus in this book is on the diagnostic and imaging challenges of chronic pancreatitis and the differentiation with pancreatic cancer in an early stage.

This book adopts a multidisciplinary approach to examine in detail a range of interesting new concepts in the diagnosis and therapy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. It is divided into three parts. The first part provides an epidemiological and clinical overview of the disease, followed by an update on pathological findings, including new discoveries in the area of molecular biology. The second part, on diagnosis, offers detailed and comprehensive information on the advantages and disadvantages of different imaging techniques, including nuclear medicine and endoscopic ultrasound. The concluding part gives a panoramic overview of the various therapeutic options, from surgery to chemotherapy and palliative approaches based on interventional endoscopy and radiology. This book will be a valuable source of information for clinicians involved in the management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and for all who are interested in updating their knowledge of the disease, including fellows and senior residents.

This book provides a comprehensive review of the imaging of cystic and rare tumors of the pancreas. It is divided into five sections on the following topics: cystic tumors, intraductal cystic tumors, endocrine tumors, rare tumors, and secondary tumors. In each section, individual chapters document the pathology, clinical manifestations, and imaging of these tumors. Therapeutic management is also discussed. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the role of state-of-the-art techniques, and the text is complemented by numerous high-quality illustrations. All of the authors are highly respected authorities in the field, with vast experience in all aspects of pancreatic disease.

Ultrasonography (US) has long been considered an important diagnostic imaging modality for investigation of the pancreas despite certain significant and well-known limitations. Indeed, in many countries US represents the first step in the diagnostic algorithm for pancreatic pathologies. Recent years have witnessed major advances in conventional, harmonic, and Doppler imaging. New technologies, softwares, and techniques, such as volumetric imaging, enhancement quantification, and fusion imaging, are increasing the diagnostic capabilities of US. The injection of microbubble contrast agents allows better tissue characterization with definitive differentiation between solid and cystic lesions. Contrast-enhanced US improves the characterization of pancreatic tumors, assists in local and liver staging, and can offer savings in both time and money. Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is a promising new US method to test, without manual compression, the mechanical strain properties of deep tissues. Furthermore, the applications and indications for interventional, endoscopic, and intraoperative US have undergone significant improvement and refinement. This book provides a complete overview of all these technological developments and their impact on the assessment of pancreatic pathologies. Percutaneous, endoscopic, and intraoperative US of the pancreas are discussed in detail, with precise description of findings and with informative imaging (CT and MRI) and pathologic correlations.

The development and improvement of new technologies have made pancreatic disease more accessible to diagnosis in the last decade. The cooperation and coordination of experts in the fields of gastro enterology, radiology, biochemistry, immunology, and pathology are necessary if the methods are to be made available and the progress made to be fully exploited. Each of the new methods requires special training, and extensive experience is needed to guarantee high standards in the diagnosis of pancreatic disease. New methods have to be tested carefully against established diagnostic procedures, though at the same time we must be ready to adopt a new approach to diagnosis. The aim of this book is to update the material already published and to focus on the various imaging methods and functional tests currently available, the features specific for each, and their integrative potential in the detection of pancreatic disease. The various pathologic findings are analyzed with reference to the clinical stages of pancreatic disease. As an introduction to the morphological and functional features of acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer revealed by the different imaging methods and functional tests, basic knowledge of the patho-physiological and pathomorphological events is provided by research workers. This knowledge is essential for the understanding and interpretation of the diagnostic findings recorded in pancreatic diseases.