Clinical trial · Observational
On-site Cytopathology EUS-FNA
The Clinical Impact of Immediate On-site Cytopathology Evaluation During Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration of Pancreatic Mass: A Multicenter, Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This study is a multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial. Potential participants in this study include patients referred for Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of a solid pancreatic lesion at one of the participating centers. If the patient meets inclusion criteria and signs the informed consent, they will be randomized into one of the two study arms in a 1:1 ratio. Patients will either undergo EUS-FNA with or without an on-site cytopathologist present during EUS-FNA. Patients assigned to the on-site cytopathologist arm will have the cytopathologist dictate the number of fine needle aspiration (FNA) passes performed by the endosonographer. This number will be based on the adequacy of specimen and the ability to provide a preliminary diagnosis. In the other arm, in the absence of an on-site cytopathologist, the endosonographer will perform a predetermined number of 7 passes (standard of care in the absence of an on-site cytopathologist). The technique of performing EUS-FNA (needle type, use of stylet, suction) will be standardized among all endosonographers in order to rule out confounding factors. After EUS-FNA is performed all slides will be sent to the pathology department. The slides will be sent for review regardless of which arm the patient is randomized into, and they will be reviewed by experienced cytopathologists for the purpose of determining the final diagnoses. Future clinical intervention will be monitored for the purpose of reporting the impact EUS-FNA has on the patient's clinical course and determining diagnostic accuracy. Patients will be followed prospectively for at least one year, and the gold-standard for final diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy will be defined by the presence of malignant cytology or histologic evidence (if the patient undergoes surgery) or with clinical and/or imaging follow-up consistent with pancreatic cancer (death or clinical progression). A detailed account of medical equipment used during each procedure, procedure time, clinic visits/hospitalizations due to procedure related complications, and number of repeat procedures will be recorded systematically. The investigators hypothesize that an on-site cytopathologist during EUS-FNA for pancreatic masses improves diagnostic yield, accuracy, and lowers the duration, complications and the need for repeat procedures.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pancreatic Cancer | Malignant Pancreatic Neoplasm | CURATED_EXACT | 0.92 |
| Pancreatic Neoplasms | Pancreatic Neoplasm | ONTOLOGY_EXACT | 0.98 |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUS-guided FNA performed with on-site Cytopathologist | Procedure | — | UNRESOLVED |
| EUS-guided FNA performed without on-site Cytopathologist | Procedure | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- label
- Cytopathologist present during EUS-FNA
- description
- Patients assigned to the on-site cytopathologist arm will have the cytopathologist dictate the number of FNA passes performed by the endosonographer. This number will be based on the adequacy of specimen and the ability to provide a preliminary diagnosis. After EUS-FNA is performed all slides will be sent to the pathology department. The slides will be sent for review regardless of which arm the patient is randomized into, and they will be reviewed by experienced cytopathologists for the purpose of determining the final diagnoses.
- interventionNames
- Procedure: EUS-guided FNA performed with on-site Cytopathologist
- label
- Cytopathologist absent during EUS-FNA
- description
- In the absence of an on-site cytopathologist, the endosonographer will perform a predetermined number of 7 passes (standard of care in the absence of an on-site cytopathologist). After EUS-FNA is performed all slides will be sent to the pathology department. The slides will be sent for review regardless of which arm the patient is randomized into, and they will be reviewed by experienced cytopathologists for the purpose of determining the final diagnoses.
- interventionNames
- Procedure: EUS-guided FNA performed without on-site Cytopathologist
Primary outcomes (2)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients age: greater than or equal to 18 years * Presence of a solid pancreatic mass lesion confirmed by at least a single investigational modality such as computerized axial tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) * Ability to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Severe coagulopathy \[International Normalized Ratio (INR) \> 1.8\] or thrombocytopenia (platelet count \<50,000) * Pure cystic lesions of the pancreas * Inability to sample lesion due to the presence of intervening blood vessels * Results of EUS-FNA would not impact patient management
References
Publications (28)
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- BACKGROUNDNgamruengphong S, Li F, Zhou Y, Chak A, Cooper GS, Das A. EUS and survival in patients with pancreatic cancer: a population-based study. Gastrointest Endosc. 2010 Jul;72(1):78-83, 83.e1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2010.01.072. PMID 20620274
- BACKGROUNDTurner BG, Cizginer S, Agarwal D, Yang J, Pitman MB, Brugge WR. Diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasia with EUS and FNA: a report of accuracy. Gastrointest Endosc. 2010 Jan;71(1):91-8. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2009.06.017. PMID 19846087
- BACKGROUNDMertz HR, Sechopoulos P, Delbeke D, Leach SD. EUS, PET, and CT scanning for evaluation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Gastrointest Endosc. 2000 Sep;52(3):367-71. doi: 10.1067/mge.2000.107727. PMID 10968852
- BACKGROUNDHunt GC, Faigel DO. Assessment of EUS for diagnosing, staging, and determining resectability of pancreatic cancer: a review. Gastrointest Endosc. 2002 Feb;55(2):232-7. doi: 10.1067/mge.2002.121342. No abstract available. PMID 11818928
- BACKGROUNDDeWitt J, Devereaux B, Chriswell M, McGreevy K, Howard T, Imperiale TF, Ciaccia D, Lane KA, Maglinte D, Kopecky K, LeBlanc J, McHenry L, Madura J, Aisen A, Cramer H, Cummings O, Sherman S. Comparison of endoscopic ultrasonography and multidetector computed tomography for detecting and staging pancreatic cancer. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Nov 16;141(10):753-63. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-141-10-200411160-00006.