Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
High operative risk of cool-tip radiofrequency ablation for unresectable pancreatic head cancer
Yulian Wu1, Zhe Tang, Heqing Fang
1Department of Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, P. R. China. wuyulian@medmail.com.cn
Background And Objectives:
To report and discuss the effect, complications and mortality of cool-tip radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for unresectable pancreatic cancer.
Methods:
During October 2003 to July 2004, sixteen patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer were treated by open cool-tip RFA. One-half of the 16 patients had tumors located in the pancreatic head. A 5-mm minimum safe distance between RFA site and major peripancreatic vessels was kept to avoid injury to the vessels.
Results:
Six of twelve patients with back pain got pain relief postoperatively. Pancreatic fistula occurred in three patients (18.8%) and healed smoothly in 7-10 days with routine abdominal drainage. The mortality was 25% (4/16). In the four death cases, tumors were all located in the pancreatic head; three patients with tumor close to portal vein died suddenly of massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage on the 4th, 30th, 40th postoperative day respectively and a 79-year-old patient died of acute renal failure on the 2nd postoperative day.
Conclusions:
Standard use of cool-tip RFA was dangerous for pancreatic head cancer close to portal vein, in which a 5-mm minimum safe distance between RFA site and major peripancreatic vessels might not be enough to avoid injury to the vessels.
