Pancreatic cancer poses a growing challenge in healthcare, defying the trend of declining cancer mortality rates. As the only cancer with increasing incidence rates across both genders, pancreatic cancer has risen to become the third leading cause of cancer-related death in Europe .

The nature of the disease contributes to its high mortality rate and low five-year survival rate. Early-stage pancreatic cancer is often asymptomatic, leading to many patients receiving a diagnosis when it is too late. Nonspecific symptoms, such as back pain, weight loss, nausea and loss of appetite, make early diagnosis particularly challenging. Consequently, the cancer often goes undetected until it has progressed to an advanced stage . For patients who are eligible for screening, the challenge then becomes ensuring that the diagnostic tools available can effectively detect and diagnose the cancer. If a clinician opts to screen a patient for pancreatic cancer, small lesions and tumours often go undetected by conventional imaging techniques, while existing blood tests are not always accurate for diagnosing pancreatic cancer . EUS (Endoscopic Ultrasound) offers a more accurate screening technique than an abdominal ultrasound and requires patients to undergo a minimally invasive surgery.

“One of the most significant challenges healthcare practitioners face in diagnosing pancreatic cancer with EUS is the difficulty in accessing lesions within the pancreas,” explains Jan Nagel, Head of Biliopancreatic, Pulmonology & ENT at Pentax Medical EMEA. The pancreas can be challenging to examine for several factors; certain areas, like the uncinate process are particularly challenging to examine from below because they require the endoscope be advanced deep within the anatomy and maintained in a relatively unstable position. These factors add to the intricacy of EUS, which is an already complex procedure. Another critical challenge arises in patients with smaller anatomies or in cases where a pancreatic mass has restricted space within the duodenum. “These anatomical constraints can significantly complicate both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures,” adds Nagel.

To address these issues, PENTAX Medical has developed the Slim Solutions range of EUS devices, designed to enhance manoeuvrability when navigating narrow anatomies. The Slim EUS-J10 Ultrasound Video Gastroscope features increased up angulation and a shorter bending section of the distal tip, specifically engineered to enhance endoscope stability when scanning challenging areas like the uncinate process of the pancreas. Additionally, the slim outer diameter supports navigation through restricted anatomical pathways while maintaining a channel large enough to support essential procedures like EUS-guided FNA/FNB.

The Slim Solutions range provides endoscopic practitioners with an optimized solution for better control and handling in these demanding situations. When paired with PENTAX Medical’s advanced range of video processors like the INSPIRA™, healthcare practitioners are well-equipped with high-quality

Position Paper for 2024 EU Elections: Pancreatic Cancer Across Europe. Pancreatic Cancer Europe. 2024.
Partyka O, Pajewska M, Kwaśniewska D, Czerw A, Deptała A, Budzik M, Cipora E, Gąska I, Gazdowicz L, Mielnik A, Sygit K, Sygit M, Krzych-Fałta E, Schneider-Matyka D, Grochans S, Cybulska AM, Drobnik J, Bandurska E, Ciećko W, Ratajczak P, Kamecka K, Marczak M, Kozłowski R. Overview of Pancreatic Cancer Epidemiology in Europe and Recommendations for Screening in High-Risk Populations. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Jul 15;15(14):3634. doi: 10.3390/cancers15143634. PMID: 37509296; PMCID: PMC10377815.
‘Tests for Pancreatic Cancer’, American Cancer Society, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/pancreatic-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/how-diagnosed.html#:~:text=Ultrasound%20(US)%20tests%20use%20sound,which%20has%20pros%20and%20cons

imaging to enhance diagnostic capabilities for a variety of medical procedures beyond EUS, such as ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography)

“PENTAX Medical’s ultrasound systems provide exceptional image quality, enabling HCPs to detect even small or subtle lesions with confidence and precision,” Nagel emphasizes. With the rise of pancreatic cancer in Europe, there is an urgent need to address the challenges of early detection and screening. As a leading provider of imaging solutions, PENTAX Medical is acutely aware of the obstacles faced by healthcare practitioners treating pancreatic cancer patients. The difficulty of visualising and accessing hard-to-reach lesions, coupled with navigating narrow patient anatomies, is a challenge that PENTAX Medical continues to address through the design and development of innovative medical solutions. These advancements empower practitioners to provide timely and effective care, ultimately supporting better clinical outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients. “Our solutions, such as the Slim Solutions product line and our advanced EUS and ERCP systems, are specifically designed to support these needs,” says Nagel.

By developing cutting-edge tools to improve the feasibility, accuracy, and comfort of pancreatic cancer diagnostics, PENTAX Medical continues to play a critical role in addressing this growing healthcare challenge.

For more information on PENTAX Medical’s biliopancreatic Smart Solutions, visit:
https://www.pentaxmedical.com/en/specialties/biliopancreatic?utm_campaign=2024-smart%20solutions%20-%20biliopancreatics-emea-traffic&utm_source=print&utm_medium=organic

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