Determination of qualitative telomerase activity as an adjunct to the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma by EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration

Telomerase activity can be measured readily in specimens obtained at EUS-FNA and accurately predicts malignancy. Used in combination with cytology, telomerase increased the sensitivity from 85% to 98% while maintaining the specificity at 100%. Lesions with negative cytology result and positive telomerase activity should be evaluated aggressively to exclude malignancy.