Background: Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT) is applied for resectable pancreatic cancer (RPC). To maximize the efficacy of NACRT, it is essential to ensure the accurate placement of fiducial markers for image-guided radiation. However, no standard method for delivering fiducial markers has been established to date, and the nature of RPC during NACRT remains unclear.
Methods: This was a prospective case series of 29 patients (mean age, 67.5 years; 62.1% male) with RPC referred to our facility for NACRT. Under EUS guidance, a single gold marker was placed into the tumor using either a 19- or 22-gauge fine-needle aspiration needle. The differences in daily marker positioning were measured by comparing simulation computed tomography and treatment computed tomography.
Conclusion: EUS fiducial marker placement following NACRT for RPC is feasible and safe. The RPC is mobile and is affected by not only aspiration, but also food and fluid intake and bowel condition.
Article from World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology, 2020