Cytologic detection of small pancreaticoduodenal and biliary cancers in the early developmental stage.

Employing pancreozymin-secretin stimulation and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiographic aspiration, cytologic examination for pancreaticoduodenal and biliary tract cancers was carried out in 763 patients, with 47 of 61 cancers cytologically detected (79%). The cancers detected included seven minute or small cancers less than 1.0 cm in maximum diameter, all of which were successfully surgically extirpated. The results indicate that diagnostic cytology contributed to the detection of cancers in these anatomic sites at an early developmental stage.