Dr Amit Maydeo, head, Institute of Advanced Endoscopy and endoscopic surgeon at Jaslok Hospital has introduced the test called Endoscopic Ultrasonography for the first time in India. The test was first developed in Japan two years back. Dr Maydeo claimed that the procedure that costs around Rs 50,000 was performed on three patients at his institute and gave encouraging results.

Currently this test is limited only to pancreatic cancer, which is one of the most aggressive cancers of the digestive system. “Every year there are 10,000 new cases of pancreatic cancers. Almost 85 percent of these cancers are advanced when detected and therefore it is very important to detect these cancers early,” said Dr Maydeo.

“In this test, cancer cells are taken out under endosonography (EUS) guidance by means of a fine needle. The genes are then micro-dissected, their DNA extracted and they are sent for genetic analysis. The abnormalities of the chromosomes can suggest what will be the pattern of the disease and the organs it will affect. That helps decide the best mode of treatment,” added Dr Maydeo. He said that the test takes only 15 minutes and can predict if the cancer will spread aggressively.

“This new approach is the way forward to tackle this dismal disease and may be very helpful in planning surgical treatment,” said Dr Shailesh Shrikhande, onco-surgeon from Tata Memorial.