SOURCE: slp3D

March 22, 2007 07:15 ET

REMINDER: ORLive Presents: Endoscopic Ultrasound Procedure With Needle Biopsy Permits Accurate Diagnosis of Suspected Cancers

Live Webcast: From Hartford Hospital: March 22, 2007 at 6:00 PM EDT (22:00 UTC)

HARTFORD, CT -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 22, 2007 -- For patients thought to be suffering from cancer of the digestive system, a definitive diagnosis can be hard to come by. Using a thin flexible tube called an endoscope, which has a tiny TV camera and a light on the end of it, a highly trained gastroenterologist can obtain a clear and unobstructed view of the digestive tract.

When fitted with a miniaturized ultrasound probe, the instrument can also produce images of organs like the liver, pancreas, bile ducts and lymph nodes that lie out of sight behind the wall of the stomach. With the help of fine-needle aspiration, the physician can accurately diagnose suspected cancers or evaluate how far they have spread, thereby leading to effective treatment planning. The American Cancer Society reports that endoscopic ultrasound is more accurate than abdominal ultrasonography and is probably the best way to diagnose pancreatic cancer.

"Ultrasound is an ideal procedure to combine with endoscopy," says Dr. Golioto, "because the probe can be miniaturized to the tip of the endoscope. It involves no radiation, but when we can get that close to tissues we can't otherwise see, the ultrasound beam has excellent penetration and produces excellent definition."

See what the American Cancer Society reports is the best way to diagnose pancreatic cancer. Watch a live endoscopic ultrasound examination and needle biopsy originating at Hartford Hospital at 6:00 PM ET (22:00 UTC).

Visit http://www.or-live.com/Hartfordhospital/1619 now to learn more and view a program preview. VNR http://www.or-live.com/rams/hah-1619-mkw-q.ram