EUS in GI Oncology: Ablation, Drug Delivery, and Advanced Nodal Staging

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has rapidly evolved from a diagnostic tool into a therapeutic platform with expanding applications in gastrointestinal (GI) oncology. This Research Topic will showcase advances that leverage EUS for tumor ablation, intratumoral and locoregional drug delivery, and high-fidelity nodal staging—areas that directly influence resectability, systemic therapy decisions, and patient outcomes.We invite original research, technical innovations, clinical trials, comparative effectiveness studies, and state-of-the-art reviews that clarify safety, efficacy, workflow, and implementation.Key themes include:EUS-guided ablation (RFA, MWA, ethanol/chemonecrosis, photodynamic therapy) across pancreatic, biliary, gastric, and subepithelial tumorsEUS-mediated drug delivery (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, oncolytics, radiopharmaceuticals, nanoparticles, hydrogels) and pharmacokinetic/biologic endpointsAdvanced nodal staging using elastography, contrast-enhanced EUS, AI-assisted image analysis, and optimized tissue acquisition (FNB vs FNA, ROSE, molecular profiling)Procedural standardization, learning curves, and quality metricsPatient selection, multidisciplinary pathways, and cost-effectivenessSafety, complication mitigation, and real-world outcomesBy integrating technical advances with clinical decision-making, this collection aims to define best practices and future directions for EUS in GI oncology, from bench-enabled devices and formulations to bedside algorithms that refine staging, personalize therapy, and expand minimally invasive treatment options. Topic editors: Federica Borrelli De Andreis, Deepak Madhu, Abdul Mohammed, Vibhor Borkar Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/75687/eus-in-gi-oncology-ablation-drug-delivery-and-advanced-nodal-staging