Will the eus cancer staging results likely be different if the procedure is performed by different endoscopists? resource to find a good endoscopist?

EUS Staging: The accuracy of eus for assessment of t stage in esophageal carcinoma is 80–85% . Accuracy varies within each t stage and is generally best for T3 (liothyronine) and T4 tumors. Accuracy is least good for t2 tumors where it ranges from 65 to 73% possibly because of difficulty detecting foci of microscopic invasion. Check whether your endoscopy group is certified by the asge.

Possibly: Endoscopic ultrasound is an advanced endoscopic procedure best performed by an experienced endoscopist who's practice involves many esophageal cancer patients. Since treatment decisions will be based on eus results it is important that your medical oncologist radiation oncologist and surgeon trust the the endoscopist performing the procedure. They should be a good resource.

Training: Check www.Asge.Org for full details. You want to make sure that your gastroenterologist was properly trained in eus. There is a list of current training programs listed. Experience matters. If the doc only does 50 a year he may not be as accurate as someone that does 150 or more a year. Generally staging of a pancreatic cancer is reliant in eus and ct. Also check with other doctors.