Original Investigation

Radiofrequency Ablation and Chemotherapy vs Chemotherapy Only in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

JAMA Network Open 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.3861

March 31, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT

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Can the addition of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to chemotherapy improve survival compared with chemotherapy only in patients with nonprogressive locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) after 2 months of multiagent chemotherapy?This international randomized clinical trial, including 188 patients with LAPC after 2 months of multiagent chemotherapy, found that local ablative therapy with RFA did not improve survival compared with chemotherapy only and worsened quality of life.The findings in this trial provide evidence against the use of RFA after chemotherapy in patients with LAPC.

Corresponding Author: I. Quintus Molenaar, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, UMC Utrecht Cancer Center and St Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, Regional Academic Cancer Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands (i.q.molenaar@umcutrecht.nl).

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