1.1
More research is needed on endoscopic bipolar radiofrequency ablation for treating malignant biliary obstruction.
Guidance
1 Recommendations
1 Recommendations
1.2
This procedure should only be done as part of a formal research study, and a research ethics committee needs to have approved its use.
More research
1.3
More research is needed on:
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patient selection
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type, site and stage of tumour
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quality of life
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morbidity and mortality
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complications.
Why the committee made these recommendations
The evidence for this procedure shows that there are no major safety concerns. It suggests that the procedure does not improve stent patency (how well and for how long a stent works), which is the main aim of the procedure. Also, there is a lack of evidence on how the procedure affects quality of life, which is a key outcome. There is conflicting evidence on whether the procedure affects how long people live. In the evidence that shows a small benefit in overall survival, it is unclear why this is happening and whether it is affected by other factors. There is a lot of variability in the studies on the procedure. For example, they include different tumour types at different locations. They also use different types of stent and varying protocols for radiofrequency ablation. So, there are uncertainties, and more research is needed to better understand the procedure's benefits.