Endoscopic Ultrasound Placement of Pre-Loaded Fiducial Markers Shortens Procedure Time Compared to Back-Loaded Markers

Fiducial markers are inert radiopaque gold or carbon markers implanted in or near pancreatic tumor to demarcate areas for image-guided radiation therapy. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) pre-loaded fiducial needles (PLNs) have been developed to circumvent technical issues associated with traditional back-loaded fiducials (BLNs). We performed a randomized controlled trial to compare procedure times in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma undergoing EUS-guided placement of BLNs vs PLNs.

Source: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology - April 27, 2019 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Jorge D. Machicado, Joshua C. Obuch, Karyn A. Goodman, Tracey E. Schefter, Jessica Frakes, Sarah Hoffe, Kutjim Latifi, Violette C. Simon, Tess Santangelo, Eze Ezekwe, Steven A. Edmundowicz, Brian C. Brauer, Raj J. Shah, Hazem T. Hammad, Mihir S. Wagh, Aug Source Type: research