New endoscopic heat treatment could help pancreatic cancer patients avoid surgery
NCT ID NCT03218345
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study is testing a procedure called EUS-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for people with pancreatic tumors who are not candidates for surgery. The procedure uses a thin needle passed through an endoscope to deliver heat directly to the tumor. Researchers want to see if it is safe and effective, and will monitor for side effects like pancreatitis or thermal injury. The trial plans to enroll 30 participants.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- radiofrequency ablation (RFA) delivered via an endoscope
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a minimally invasive treatment option for pancreatic tumors in patients who cannot have surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Risks include pancreatitis, pancreatic leak, and thermal injury.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2016
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years-old or above * Suffering from pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor or pancreatic ductal carcinoma (\<5cm in largest diameter) that was confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology * Unsuitable for surgery, due to one (or more) of the following items: * ASA score \> II\* * An alternative advanced malignancy * Unsuitable for surgery upon expert's opinion for any other reason * Healthy individuals who are not keen for surgical resection * Eligible for endoscopic intervention * Written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Coagulopathy (international normalized ratio \>1.3, partial thromboplastin time greater than twice that of control), platelet count \<50,000x103/uL * Pregnancy * Patients with a poor mental condition or mental retardation, unable to understand the nature and possible consequences of the study * Patients unwilling to undergo follow-up assessments * Patients with liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension and/or gastric varices.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong
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