Review
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World J Gastrointest Endosc. Jul 16, 2014; 6(7): 272-285
Published online Jul 16, 2014. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v6.i7.272
Endoscopic ultrasonography for surveillance of individuals at high risk for pancreatic cancer
Gabriele Lami, Maria Rosa Biagini, Andrea Galli
Gabriele Lami, Maria Rosa Biagini, Andrea Galli, Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Pathophysiology, University of Florence Medical School, 50139 Florence, Italy
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the preparation, writing and editing of this article; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to: Andrea Galli, Professor, Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Pathophysiology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy. a.galli@dfc.unifi.it.
Telephone: +39-05-54271419 Fax: +39-05-54222409
Received: January 11, 2014
Revised: June 10, 2014
Accepted: June 20, 2014
Published online: July 16, 2014
Core Tip

Core tip: In the era of early diagnosis and screening programs, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) represents the most promising tool able to identify pancreatic precursor neoplasms in high risk individuals. If compared to other imaging techniques, it is highly accurate to diagnose small pancreatic cancer and pre-malignant lesions, with very low rate of complications and limitations. Here are reported the current role of EUS in various international screening programs and its future possible developments.