A review of the recent advances in endoscopic retrograde cholangiography-guided intraductal radiofrequency ablation for malignant biliary strictures

Abstract

Pancreatobiliary malignancy is relatively rare; however, it remains one of the most lethal malignancies and has a dismal prognosis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-guided intraductal radiofrequency ablation (ID-RFA) is a promising, minimally invasive treatment for unresectable malignant biliary strictures by delivering high-frequency alternating current to the target tissue, leading to coagulative necrosis. Recent studies have provided evidence that ERCP-guided ID-RFA is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective adjunctive treatment in terms of stent patency as well as overall survival. Compared with other local treatments, such as photodynamic therapy, ERCP-guided ID-RFA has advantages, including ease of delivery, controlled application of thermal energy, low cost, and fewer systemic side effects, with an acceptable safety profile. ERCP-guided ID-RFA has been proposed as an attractive endobiliary ablative therapy and is regarded to be an adjuvant method for the palliative care of patients with unresectable malignant biliary strictures. However, due to the ongoing lack of comparative studies, the choice of local ablative therapy remains, in each case, an individual decision by the multidisciplinary team.