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| A prospective study on radiofrequency ablation locally advanced pancreatic cancer |
| Riccardo Casadei, Claudio Ricci, Raffaele Pezzilli, Carla Serra, Lucia Calculli, Antonio Maria Morselli-Labate, Donatella Santini and Francesco Minni |
Bologna, Italy
Author Affiliations: Department of Surgery (Casadei R, Ricci C and Minni F), Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology (Pezzilli R, Serra C and Morselli-Labate AM), Department of Radiology (Calculli L), and Department of Pathology (Santini D), S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Corresponding Author: Raffaele Pezzilli, MD, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti n.9 40138, Bologna, Italy (Tel: +3905163641488; Fax: +390516364148; Email: raffaele.pezzilli@aosp.bo.it) |
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Abstract BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been suggested as a new treatment option for patients with locally advanced cancer. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of intraoperative RFA in patients with unresectable, locally advanced, non-metastatic carcinoma of the pancreatic head.
METHODS: RFA was the first step of the surgical procedure and was carried out on the mobilized pancreatic head followed by biliary by-pass and gastrojejunal-anastomosis. Intra- and post-operative morbidity and mortality, performance status, pain control, quality of life, and survival at 24 months were evaluated.
RESULTS: Seven patients (3 men and 4 women; median age 66 years, range 47-80 years) were studied and 4 were eligible for treatment. The RFA procedure was carried out in 3 of the 4 patients; in one patient it was not carried out because of the upstaging of the neoplasm. In all 3 patients RFA achieved complete necrosis of the lesion. A biliary fistula developed 7 days after the procedure in one patient; all 3 patients developed ascites 8.6 days (range 7-9 days) on average after RFA. All patients died respectively, at 3, 4, and 5 months after the treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, RFA is a feasible procedure, but it presents a very high rate of postoperative complications. Moreover, pain control, life quality and survival rate are poor. The few data suggest no impact on survival.
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2010, Vol. 9 
