Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle tissue acquisition is currently the gold standard for sampling solid pancreatic masses. By using novel fine needle biopsy (FNB) needles during EUS-guided tissue sampling, core tissue samples can also now be obtained, with diagnostic adequacy of \>90%.
Molecular profiling is becoming increasingly important in the management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma for targeted therapy. As the procurement of core tissue is possible with EUS-FNB, adequate tissue can now be obtained for molecular profiling. However, the number of passes required during EUS-FNB to obtain sufficient quantity of core tissue to successfully perform molecular profiling is unknown, although usually 2-3 passes are performed as standard of care practice.
The primary aim of this study is therefore to elucidate the optimal number of passes required during EUS-FNB to procure adequate tissue for molecular profiling in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
