Standard Versus Fanning Techniques for Endoscopic Ultrasound-Fine Needle Aspiration (EUS-FNA)

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)-guided biopsy is the most ideal technique for evaluating a growth in the pancreas. EUS-guided biopsies yield a definitive diagnosis in greater than 80% of cases. In 15-20% of the cases, a definitive diagnosis cannot be made despite multiple attempts. One of the reasons why a diagnosis cannot be made is due to the focal location of the cancer; i.e., the cancer can be situated in a corner of a big mass and the needle fails to sample the cancer cells. The fanning technique is a method where the needle moves in multiple directions within a mass and therefore there is a better chance of the cancer cells being sampled compared to the standard technique where the needle moves in only one direction. The diagnostic performance of both these techniques has not been compared in a randomized fashion.