Radiofrequency Ablation of Pancreatic Solid Tumors

Abstract

Today, endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation has become increasingly accepted for the treatment of different precancerous and neoplastic lesions of the pancreas, particularly in patients who are unfit for surgery. However, thermal ablation has long been suspected to induce pancreatitis or to injure adjacent structures. Published case reports and case series on this topic are of limited size and are often based on a heterogeneous study population, reporting on functional and nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Nevertheless, the overall results are promising, with high technical success and relatively low complication rates.

Keywords: Neoplastic lesions; Pancreatic tumors; Radiofrequency ablation.