THE USEFULNESS OF CONTRAST ENHANCED ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH PANCREATIC CARCINOMA BEFORE AND AFTER CHEMORADIATION THERAPY

Purpose: The aim of our study was to investigate the hemodynamic response to treatment, as shown by contrast enhanced ultrasonography (EU). Methods and Materials: Seventeen patients with unresectable Stage IVa/ IVb pancreatic carcinoma were enrolled. Pathologically, all tumors were proven to be adenocarcinoma. EU was performed before and after chemoradiation. We assigned the intratumoral enhancement pattern of EU, a score of 1 for weakly positive, 2 for positive, 3 for strongly positive and 4 for very strongly positive The treatment effect was estimated by CT. IMD (intratumoral microvessel density) was calculated by means of CD 34 immune staining. Also average of microvessel diameter (AVD) was calculated in the same areas. VEGF staining was graded on a scale of 0(