title: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation for cholangiocarcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the use of endobiliary radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of malignant disease of the bile duct and offer a comprehensive review of the emerging evidence on the safety and effectiveness of this new technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ex-vivo and in-vivo porcine studies have been reported, confirming the feasibility of the technique, gathering preliminary safety data and defining appropriate power settings for human studies. Moderate-sized case series have now reported the use of RFA in mixed cohorts of human individuals with pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and other malignant diseases of the bile duct. Endoscopic and percutaneous approaches have both been investigated. Small case series of blocked self-expanding metal stent clearance using RFA have been published.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraductal RFA, via both endoscopic and percutaneous approaches, is feasible. Complication rates appear to be comparable with the current standard endoscopic and percutaneous approaches to palliation of malignant strictures of the bile duct. The current body of literature is germinal, but warrants the further investigation of planned clinical trials.
authors: Hepatology and Gastroenterology Section, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors: Christopher A
authors: CA
authors: Wadsworth
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Westaby
authors: Shahid A
authors: SA
authors: Khan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015607:Stents; D034421:Sus scrofa; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods