Efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided ablation with the hybridtherm probe in locally advanced or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer: A phase II randomized controlled trial

Endoscopic ultrasound-ablation with HybridTherm-Probe (EUS-HTP) significantly reduces tumour volume (TV) in locally-advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (LA-PDAC). We aimed at investigating the clinical efficacy of EUS-HTP plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy (HTPCT and CT arms) in LA-and borderline-resectable (BR) PDAC, with 6-months progression-free survival (6-PFS) rate as primary endpoint. In a phase-II randomized-controlled-trial, 33 LA/BRPDAC patients per-arm were planned to verify 20% improved 6-PFS rate. Radiological response (Choi criteria), TV and serum CA19.9 were assessed up to 6-months. Seventeen and 20 LA/BR-PDAC patients were randomized to HTP-CT or CT. Baseline and CT-related features were balanced. At 6-months, 6-PFS rate was 41.2% and 30% in HTP-CT and CT arms (p = 0.48), respectively. A decrease ≥50% of serum CA19.9 was achieved in 75% and 64.3% of HTP-CT and CT patients (p = 0.53), respectively. TV reduced up to 6-months in 64.3% and 47.1% of HTP-CT and CT patients (p = 0.35), respectively. Resection rate, PFS-time and overall survival (OS-time) were similar. HTP-CT achieves a non-significant 11.2%, 10.7% and 17.2% improved 6-PFS, CA19.9 decrease ≥50% and TV reduction rates over CT, without any impact on resection rate, PFS-time and OS-time. As the study was underpowered, these results suggest further investigation of EUS-local ablation in selected patients with localized disease after induction CT.