Endoscopic stent placement combined with tumor ablation therapy

Palliative therapy of advanced pancreatobiliary cancers is focused primarily on biliary stenting in most patients. However, biliary stent occlusion or dysfunction is a main concern. Several types of stents are bleed designed and studied to improve stent function, but with limited success. Local ablative therapy, such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in combination with biliary stenting is a paradigm shift in the management of advanced pancreatobiliary malignancies. The current review analyzes the data on the role of combining either PDT or RFA with biliary stenting in inoperable pancreatobiliary malignancies.