# Endoscopic Fine-Needle Polarized Scanning Spectroscopy for Pancreatic Cystic Lesions Diagnosis

> **NIH NIH R01** · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · $681,985

## Abstract

Project Summary
In this application we propose to develop the endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle optical
diagnostic system that can determine the cellular composition of pancreatic cysts in vivo and identify
cystic lesions with early stage cancer features.
 Pancreatic cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer-related death in the United
States, surpassing breast cancer. With a median survival of 3 months, it has the highest mortality
rate of all major cancers. The poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer is due in large part to the inability
to detect this cancer at an early stage, when the option of a curative surgical resection is still possible.
It is estimated that 8 million Americans have pancreatic cystic lesions. Pancreatic cysts are the only
readily identifiable precursors of pancreatic cancer. Most commonly, these asymptomatic cysts are
found incidentally when MRI/CT imaging is performed for other purposes and then monitored with
these imaging techniques for interval growth since about 1 in 10 cysts have malignant potential. While
CT and MRI could be used to screen for cystic lesions, they have poor accuracy with regard to
distinguishing cancerous and pre-cancerous cysts from benign cysts. Currently, there is no
accurate diagnostic technique that can distinguish cancerous and pre-cancerous cysts from
benign cysts, resulting in dire consequences, including the development of cancer in cysts thought to
be benign, or unnecessary pancreatic surgery for benign cysts, often with significant morbidity and
mortality. Thus, there is a critical need for a new diagnostic approach that accurately identifies
those pancreatic cysts that require surgical intervention and those that do not.
 Recently we introduced a new diagnostic technology based on light scattering
spectroscopy (LSS) that identifies the malignant potential of pancreatic cystic lesions during
routine diagnostic minimally invasive endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-
FNA) procedures. It employs a single-point forward looking spatial gating contact probe that fits
into a standard aspiration needle and samples a fraction of the internal surface of the cyst forward
hemisphere in approximately 2 minutes. To improve accuracy and ensure clinical acceptance of the
technique, scanning the entire internal cyst surface in a shorter time would be a significant advance.
Our preliminary results are very encouraging, indicating that the proposed technology could be a
tremendous aid in identifying both precursor lesions and early stage pancreatic cancers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10011802
- **Project number:** 5R01EB025173-04
- **Recipient organization:** BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Lev T Perelman
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $681,985
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-30 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10011802

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10011802, Endoscopic Fine-Needle Polarized Scanning Spectroscopy for Pancreatic Cystic Lesions Diagnosis (5R01EB025173-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10011802. Licensed CC0.

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