How does endoscopic ultrasound diagnose pancreatic cancer?

Endoscopic Ultrasound( EUS) involves passing a thin lighted tube, called an endoscope, through your mouth then into your stomach and duodenum. The ultrasound probe is attached to the tip of the endoscope. Since the endoscope allows the ultrasound probe to get very close to the pancreas and its surrounding organs, detailed pictures can be produced, and small tumors in the pancreas can be detected.

The real-time needle guidance provided by the EUS procedure enables the physician to biopsy a suspicious cyst or suspected tumor in a process called Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA).