[Expert consensus on clinical practice of co-ablation therapy of malignant pancreatic tumors]

Ablation technology is a key component of localised treatment strategies for solid tumours. Among these techniques, cryoablation is widely used in clinical practice because of its minimally invasive nature, controllability, and relatively low incidence of complications. A new generation of composite cryo-thermal ablation systems, independently developed in China, integrates cryoablation and thermal ablation, and its efficacy and safety have been extensively validated in clinical settings. Compared with traditional microwave ablation, radiofrequency ablation, or cryoablation alone, combined cryo-thermal ablation is more complex in terms of its therapeutic mechanisms, operational procedures, and risk management. This is particularly true in the pancreatic region, where delicate anatomical structures are located adjacent to vital vascular and ductal systems, significantly increasing the technical difficulty of treatment implementation. To standardise the application of image-guided combined cryo-thermal ablation for malignant pancreatic tumours, reduce procedural risks, and minimise the incidence of complications, experts from the Committee of Tumor Ablation, and the Chinese College of Interventionalists,the Committee of Ablation Therapy in Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Expert Committee on Ablation Therapy, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) have formulated this operational consensus. This consensus is based on a thorough review of the available evidence-based medical literature and domestic multi-centre clinical experience, with the aim of providing systematic technical guidance for clinical practice.