Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided therapy with ethanol injection or catheter-based radiofrequency ablation for pancreatic neoplasm has been conducted as a potential alternate treatment modality for patients who are not eligible for surgery. On the basis of the limited number of studies available, EUS-guided ablation therapy with the aforementioned methods for small pancreatic neoplasms has demonstrated promising technical feasibility and safety profiles. To be considered as a legitimate alternative option to surgery, however, EUS-guided ablation therapy must provide a long-term efficacy profile along with the consensus among experts regarding its treatment parameter. This review focuses on the clinical issues and future perspectives of EUS-guided therapy for pancreatic neoplasm.
Keywords: Contraindications; Ethanol; Pancreatic neoplasms; Treatment outcome; EUS.