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Pancreatic Ductal AdenocarcinomaEUS-RFANCT03444948

A Clinical Study of EUS-RFA for Inoperable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

A study testing EUS-RFA using Habib Tm as a probe and EUS in people with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, run by Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) at 1 site in Canada.

Suspended

Paused. Enrolment is on hold for now and may resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

To assess if endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation application in patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer confers survival benefit when compared to patients receiving standard medical care. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
What is being tested?
EUS-RFA using Habib Tm as a probe and EUS
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
108 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
14 Feb 2019to 1 Dec 2028
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients above 18 years of age.
  • A cytological / histological diagnosis of inoperable PDAC based on multidisciplinary review of cross-sectional imaging and cytology / histology results.
  • Patients ought to be fit enough to be considered for the study (ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status 0, 1 or 2)
  • Patients who have commenced chemotherapy are not excluded from the study
  • Patients capable of giving informed consent
  • Negative blood pregnancy test for women of childbearing potential
  • Willingness and ability to comply with all protocol requirements including scheduled visits, treatment plans, laboratory tests and other study procedures.

Who cannot join

  • ECOG performance status 3 or 4
  • Life expectancy less than 3 months (including liver metastases, carcinomatosis)
  • Prior investigational drugs within the last 30 days
  • Known infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal

    Montreal, Quebec, H2X 0A9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: A Phase II Prospective Randomised Clinical Study of Endoscopic Ultrasound Guided Radiofrequency Ablation (EUS-RFA) for Inoperable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

To assess if endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation application in patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer confers survival benefit when compared to patients receiving standard medical care.

Read the detailed description

The five-year survival for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is less than 5% in spite of the advances in management of cancers in the last few decades. Endobiliary application of radiofrequency (RF) has been developed and used in patients with inoperable bile duct and pancreatic head adenocarcinomas presenting with biliary obstruction. (1, 2) Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of pancreatic neoplasms has been proven to be well tolerated and safe, inducing a significant reduction in tumour size (3). Various techniques of EUS-guided tumour ablation have been described, including RF ablation, photodynamic therapy, laser ablation, and ethanol injection (4). Kahaleh et al. have demonstrated that Endoscopic ultrasound guided RF ablation (EUS-RFA) of the pancreatic head using Habib EUS-RFA catheter (EMcision Ltd, UK) through a 19-gauge needle was well tolerated in 5 Yucatan pigs and with minimum amount of pancreatitis (5). In a pilot clinical study, Pai et al showed either a complete response or at least a 50% reduction in tumours following application of radiofrequency ablation with the Habib™ EUS-RFA device in a group of eight patients with pancreatic cancers (3).

Being tested
EUS-RFA using Habib Tm as a probe, EUS

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • EUS-RFA using Habib Tm as a probeDevice

    3 EUS-RFA interventions at 1-month interval

  • EUSProcedure or surgery

    Standard intervention

Study groups in NCT03444948
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
3 radiofrequency ablation proceduresExperimentalSubject will undergo 3 radiofrequency ablation procedures at 1 month intervals (EUS-RFA using Habib Tm as a probe)
Receives: Device: EUS-RFA using Habib Tm as a probe
standard medical careActive comparatorSubject will receive standard medical care, including pain relief drugs
Receives: Procedure: EUS

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Survival

    Duration of survival

    Measured: 1 month

  2. Survival

    Duration of survival

    Measured: at time of death on average 10months

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Quality of life (HEALTH, SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, DAILY ACTIVITIES)

    Quality of life questionnaire DDQ15

    Measured: 1 month

  2. Quality of life (HEALTH, SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, DAILY ACTIVITIES)

    Quality of life questionnaire DDQ15

    Measured: Time of death on average 10 months

  3. Pain reduction

    Likert Scale

    Measured: 1 month

  4. Pain reduction

    Likert Scale

    Measured: Time of death on average 10months

  5. Tumour Size

    Measures during follow-up EUS

    Measured: 4 months

  6. Monitoring of Adverse reactions

    Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events will be recorded

    Measured: At time of death on average 10months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted26 Feb 2018
  2. Study start14 Feb 2019
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Dec 2028 (estimated)

Why it stopped: There was a voluntary recall from the Habib EUS RFA device manufacturer

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
108 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03444948
Sponsor's protocol ID
CE 17.215
Acronym
EUS-RFA
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
27 Oct 2017
Last updated
23 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing EUS-RFA using Habib Tm as a probe and EUS in people with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, run by Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: paused, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Survival (time frame: 1 month). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Apr 2026.

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