Gautam AD, Lal H. Letter to the Editor: Reconsidering relevance of endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation in pancreatic cancer treatment: Future perspectives on artificial intelligence. World J Radiol 2026; 18(9): 124226 [DOI: 10.4329/wjr.124226]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Hira Lal, Professor, Department of Radiology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Raibareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. hiralal2007@yahoo.co.in
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Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
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letter
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Gautam AD, Lal H. Letter to the Editor: Reconsidering relevance of endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation in pancreatic cancer treatment: Future perspectives on artificial intelligence. World J Radiol 2026; 18(9): 124226 [DOI: 10.4329/wjr.124226]
World J Radiol. Sep 28, 2026; 18(9): 124226 Published online Sep 28, 2026. doi: 10.4329/wjr.124226
Letter to the Editor: Reconsidering relevance of endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation in pancreatic cancer treatment: Future perspectives on artificial intelligence
Avinash D Gautam, Hira Lal
Avinash D Gautam, Hira Lal, Department of Radiology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India
Author contributions: Gautam AD and Lal H contributed to the conception and design of the manuscript, literature review, data interpretation, and critical revision of the manuscript; Gautam AD and Lal H approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
AI contribution statement: The authors take full responsibility and accountability for all content of this manuscript, including any portions for which AI tools were used as assistive technologies. All AI-assisted outputs were carefully reviewed, validated, and approved by the authors. AI tools were not used to generate original scientific data, perform independent scientific analyses, or draw scientific conclusions.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Corresponding author: Hira Lal, Professor, Department of Radiology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Raibareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. hiralal2007@yahoo.co.in
Received: June 9, 2026 Revised: August 13, 2026 Accepted: August 21, 2026 Published online: September 28, 2026 Processing time: 111 Days and 4.4 Hours
Abstract
Despite advances in curative and technological approaches, pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a major global health challenge. In the majority of cases, PC is diagnosed at an advanced stage and/or in patients with significant comorbidities, which limits treatment options, including the feasibility of surgical resection. To address these challenges, endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) has emerged as a promising approach, although its outcomes remain debatable. Tong et al highlighted the role of EUS-RFA in PC treatment in their recent review. Furthermore, the existing literature lacks sufficient evidence regarding post-treatment outcomes, comparative assessments through multi-arm studies, and survival benefits. The exploration of artificial intelligence may potentially assist in optimizing radiofrequency ablation parameters, reducing operator dependency and inter-operator variability, thereby enhancing the efficacy of EUS-RFA procedures in future hypothetically.
Core Tip: Pancreatic cancer is a serious clinical challenge associated with high morbidity and mortality. Treatment options for non-resectable or high-risk patients are limited. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) is an emerging therapeutic approach, albeit with certain limitations. Tong et al highlighted the role of EUS-RFA in pancreatic cancer treatment in their recent review.
