New hope for people suffering from pancreatic cancer

Revolutionary study results thanks to the VivaScope 2500 laser scanning microscope.

(Munich, 17.11.2022) Pancreatic cancer usually means a death sentence. In 2021, 19,400 people developed the disease, of whom 18,000 died. With a 5-year survival rate of only 5%, pancreatic cancer is therefore the fourth leading cause of cancer death in Western countries. However, with early detection, this rate can be increased to 20%, making early detection with accurate diagnosis crucial and thus having a significant impact on clinical behavior.

Munich-based VivaScope GmbH has achieved excellent results with its VivaScope 2500 laser scanning microscope in a study. This 81-patient study evaluated the diagnostic performance of VivaScope technology in predicting the histologic adequacy of EUS-FNA/FNB specimens in solid pancreatic lesions and the agreement with the final histologic evaluation.

Advantages of the new approach:
  • Real-time, intraoperative, on-site or remote evaluation.
  • Prompt feedback on the pathological status of the harvested tissue, allowing immediate treatment to be initiated
  • Complete tissue integrity for subsequent laboratory testing
  • Sample preparation does not require a specialized operator
  • Significant time & cost savings
  • Ability to diagnose remotely via telemedicine

The result may be seen as a revolution and gives hope to pancreatic cancer patients:

VivaScope sensitivity was 100%, specificity was 66.7%, accuracy was 97%, positive predictive value was 97%, and negative predictive value was 100%.
The VivaScope 2500 represents a new technique that can be successfully applied to cytological microhistological specimens. It provides immediate information on the suitability of the tissue and shows very good agreement with the final histology. In a subsequent study, EUS-FNA/FNB VivaScope images were evaluated by pathologists from 10 international centers to investigate the concordance between the observers with the final diagnostic report.

Contact person:

Mr. Dr. Roberto Banchi
Head of Global Application Team