Background: Locally advanced unresectable (nonmetastatic) and borderline resectable pancreatic carcinomas represent a therapeutic challenge. Several minimally invasive local ablative techniques are available for local treatment in these situations.
Objective: Which interventional techniques and application options are currently available for pancreatic carcinoma and which oncological results could be achieved so far?
Material and methods: An analysis of reviews and studies was carried out. The selection of literature was based on searches in PubMed and the Cochrane library. The studies analyzed were reviews, meta-analyses and original articles mainly from the period between 2013 and 2018. Single case reports were not included in this review.
Results: Local ablative techniques are performed with various forms of energy and are associated with specific advantages and disadvantages. They have to be individually tailored to the specific patient and situation. Noninvasive thermal ablation with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is primarily used for palliative pain relief. Solid tumors are the main indication for thermal necrosis with microwave ablation (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The use of irreversible electroporation (IRE) enables a selective destruction of tumor cells and can be performed in the vicinity of sensitive structures. This technique is applied for primary tumor control and also for accentuation of tumor margins during resection.
Conclusion: With local ablative techniques an improvement in the quality of life and possibly the prognosis can be achieved in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer; however, the latter aspect has to be viewed with caution due to a current lack of well-founded data.
Keywords: High intense focused ultrasound; Irreversible electroporation; Microwave ablation; Neoadjuvant therapy; Photodynamic therapy; Radiofrequency ablation; Stereotactic body radiotherapy.