Impact of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration on positive peritoneal lavage cytology in patients with resectable pancreatic body and tail cancer

Background/Purpose A recent study has demonstrated that the timing of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration (EUS‐FNA) significantly influences the peritoneal lavage cytology (CY) outcomes in pancreatic body‐tail cancer. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of EUS‐FNA on CY positivity in patients with resectable pancreatic body‐tail cancer. Methods Patients with anatomically resectable pancreatic body‐tail cancer surgically resected at Hiroshima University Hospital were enrolled, and elated clinicopathological factors, including EUS‐FNA variables and CY positivity rate, were analyzed. Results Of the 129 eligible patients, 16 (12%) had positive CY. The EUS‐FNA rates of the CY‐positive and CY‐negative groups were not significantly different (63% vs. 52%, p = .440). Multivariate analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis was the only independent risk factor for CY positivity (odds ratio: 5.734, p = .031). A total of 10 (14%) of the 69 patients who underwent EUS‐FNA had positive CY; however, needle specifications and the interval between EUS‐FNA and CY examination did not differ between the CY‐positive and CY‐negative groups. CY positivity rates were comparable for intervals ≤14 days and ≥15 days (17% vs. 14%, p = 1.000). Conclusions EUS‐FNA may not affect CY positivity in patients with resectable pancreatic body‐tail cancer, regardless of the timing.