Table 1.
Technical comparisons of chemoablation, radiofrequency ablation, and microwave ablation. RFA—Radiofrequency ablation, MWA—Microwave ablation, PC—Pancreatic cancer, pNET—Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, PCL—Pancreatic cystic neoplasms. N/A: Not applicable.
| Ethanol/Chemoablation | RFA | MWA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | |||
| EUS-guided | x | x | x |
| Percutaneous | x | x | |
| Laparotomy | x | x | |
| Timing of necrosis | Delayed | Immediate | Immediate |
| Theoretical Aspects [61,62,63] | |||
| Ablation Volume | Dependent on cyst size | Small to medium | Large |
| Temperature | N/A | Low | High |
| Heat Sink Effect | N/A | More | Less |
| Need for cooling probe tip | N/A | Yes | Optional |
| Target Lesion | PCLs | PCLs, pNETS, PCs | pNETS, PCs PCLs (no data yet) |