Safety of Biliary Intraductal Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients With Unresectable Extrahepatic Biliary Tract Cancer (Ablatio)

Safety of Biliary Intraductal Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients With Unresectable Extrahepatic Biliary Tract Cancer (EBTC) Undergoing Systemic Anti-tumor Therapy: a Phase II, Multi-center, Randomized, and Controlled Study (Ablatio-bilica)

The goal of this clinical trial is to provide evidence for the general tolerability of radiofrequency ablation (bRFA) in patients with unresectable bile duct cancer undergoing systemic palliative treatment consisting of systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without immune-checkpoint-inhibitor (ICI). The main question it aims to answer is whether it is safe to combine systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without ICI with and bRFA.

Participants will be assigned to either the control group or the experimental group. In the control group, the standard of care consists of endoscopy with stent placement in the bile duct and systemic anti-tumor therapy, whereas in the experimental group, bRFA will be performed in addition to the standard of care. Participants will be followed up for 6 months, during the follow-up, the stage of the tumor, blood examination, the duration of the stent from the insertion until its failure, adverse events and quality of life will be examined.

Researchers will compare the standard of care alone to the experimental group to see if the additional bRFA procedure causes higher or no difference in adverse events rate.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Bile Duct Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Gemcitabin, Cisplatin and Durvalumab; Procedure: Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography with stenting; Procedure: Biliary Radiofrequency Ablation

Detailed Description

Extrahepatic biliary tract cancer (EBTC) in most cases is diagnosed at an unresectable stage of disease. Standard-of-care systemic palliative treatment consists of systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without immune-checkpoint-inhibitor (ICI). Nonetheless, overall survival remains limited at about 12.8 months. Moreover, severe adverse events can occur leading to treatment discontinuation increasing the risk of tumor progression and poor prognosis. Biliary obstruction is one of the most relevant factors for survival limiting eligibility and timing/dosing of chemo-(immuno)therapy. Endoscopic biliary stenting is standard to relieve jaundice, but tumor ingrowth can limit the rate and duration of success. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) results from thermal damage created by a high-frequency alternating current released from an electrode into tissue. RFA has become a standard treatment modality in numerous indications, including the treatment of Barrett's oesophagus-related dysplasia and hepatocellular carcinoma. Intraductal biliary radiofrequency ablation (bRFA) is a relatively new method of inducing tumor necrosis via thermal energy. bRFA has been applied in patients suffering unresectable EBTC within randomized-controlled trials indicating improved stent patency as well as overall survival and progression-free survival.

The primary objective of the study is to provide evidence for the general tolerability of bRFA in patients with unresectable extrahepatic biliary tract cholangiocarcinoma undergoing systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without ICI. It is hypothesized that bRFA is generally safe and well tolerated by patients. Primary endpoint of the study is any grade 3 or 4 adverse events leading to chemo-immune checkpoint inhibitor-therapy discontinuation up to six months after enrolment.

Eligible patients will be registered in the study database and randomized in 1:2 ratio to either the standard group (systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without ICI with endoscopic biliary stenting) or the experimental bRFA group (systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without ICI with endoscopic biliary stenting + bRFA).

Systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without ICI with endoscopic biliary stenting are standard of care applied commonly in both the control and the experimental group:

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) procedure stenting are applied at baseline and as clinically indicated. E.g., CICI cycles (Gemcitabin d1 & d8, Cisplatin d1 & d8, Durvalumab d1) are administered repeating every 21 days for a total of 8 cycles.

bRFA will be applied only to the experimental group, it is standardized as for generator settings and protocol adapting to tumor morphology using the probe at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks after study start.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 36
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Prof. Dr. med. Reiner Wiest; Phone Number: +41 31 632 59 41; Email: reiner.wiest@insel.ch
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Prof. Dr. med. Martin Berger; Phone Number: +41 31 632 41 14; Email: martin.berger@insel.ch

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Bern, Switzerland, 3010
    • Recruiting
    • Inselspital Bern University Hospital
    • Principal Investigator: Reiner Prof. Dr. med. Wiest
    • Sub-Investigator: Martin Prof. Dr. med. Berger
    • Contact: Prof. Dr. med. Reiner Wiest; Phone Number: +41 31 632 59 41; Email: reiner.wiest@insel.ch
    • Contact: Prof. Dr. med. Martin Berger; Phone Number: +41 31 632 41 14; Email: martin.berger@insel.ch
  • Geneva, Switzerland, 1205
    • Not yet recruiting
    • Hôpitaux Universitaires Genève
    • Contact: Pr Jean-Louis Frossard; Phone Number: +41 22 372 93 40; Email: jean-louis.frossard@hug.ch
    • Contact: Dr. Thibaud Koessler
  • Lucerne, Switzerland, 6004
    • Not yet recruiting
    • Luzerner Kantonspital
    • Contact: Dr. med. Simon Bütikofer; Phone Number: +41 41 205 6966; Email: simon.buetikofer@luks.ch
    • Contact: Dr. med. Ralph Winterhalder
  • Zurich, Switzerland, 8091
    • Not yet recruiting
    • UniversitätsSpital Zürich
    • Contact: PD Dr. med. Christoph Schlag; Phone Number: +41 44 253 13 70; Email: christoph.schlag@usz.ch
    • Contact: PD Dr. med. Ralph Fritsch

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion criteria

1. Male or female ≥18 years old.
2. Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of previously untreated and unresectable*, locally advanced and/or metastatic extrahepatic biliary tract cholangiocarcinoma with obstructive jaundice (increased serum level of total bilirubin).
3. ECOG performance status 0 to 2.
4. Adequate bone marrow function: Neutrophil count ≥1.0 x 109/L, platelet count ≥100 x 109/L.
5. Adequate renal function in case of cisplatin administration: Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) ≥60mL/min/1.73m2.
6. Willing and able to provide written informed consent.

7. Planned initiation of any standard-of-care systemic anti-proliferative therapy against ETB.

   *The reason for inoperability needs to be documented and categorized as follows:

   • Wish of patient.
   • Locally advanced or vascular invasion = surgically not removable.
   • Remnant liver is not sufficient.
   • Anatomic contraindications.
   • Distant metastasis.
   • Severe comorbidities.
   • Other reasons. Exclusion criteria

1. Solely intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma or mixed type liver tumors (cholangiocarcinoma with hepatocellular differentiation parts).
2. Multiple hepatic metastases with significant blockage of one or more liver segments and/or less than 50% of liver parenchyma potentially drainable on pre-intervention imaging.

3. In case of immune-checkpoint-inhibitor (ICI) administration, any autoimmune diseases including inflammatory disorders such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Wegener granulomatosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Graves' disease.

   Exceptions:

   - Hypothyroidism following Hashimoto thyroiditis stable on hormone replacement.

   - Patients with vitiligo.

   - Any chronic skin disorders that do not require systemic treatment.

4. Use of immunosuppressive medication within 3 weeks prior to ICI administration.

   Exceptions:

   - Topical or inhaled steroids.

   • Systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses not exceeding >10mg/d of prednisone or equivalent.
5. Prior Self-Expandable Metal Stent (SEMS) placement in the biliary tree.
6. Biliary obstruction of non-tumoral etiology.
7. Platelets <100 x 109/L or International Normalized Ratio (INR) >1.5.

8. Secondary tumor.

   Exceptions:

   - Tumor treated with curative intent without recurrence for more than 5 years.

   • Non-melanoma skin cancer treated carcinoma in situ without evidence of disease.
9. Pregnancy or lactation.
10. Known or suspected non-compliance, drug, or alcohol abuse.
11. Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g., due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the candidate.
12. Participation in another interventional study within 30 days prior to enrollment.
13. Previous participation in the current study.
14. Other diseases like Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Liver cirrhosis Child-Pugh B or C, cardiac pacemaker, history of organ transplantation or condition likely to significantly decrease life expectancy i.e., life expectancy is less than 3 months according to investigator judgement.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Control arm; Standard of care consisting of chemotherapy + durvalumab + endoscopic stenting	Drug: Gemcitabin, Cisplatin and Durvalumab; CICI (Gemcitabin d1 & d8 Cisplatin d1 & d8, Durvalumab d1) are administered repeating every 21 days for a total of 8 cycles.; Procedure: Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography with stenting; ERCP with stenting are applied at baseline and as clinically indicated
Experimental: Biliary radiofrequency ablation; Standard of care consisting of chemotherapy + durvalumab + endoscopic stenting plus intraductal radiofrequency ablation (bRFA)	Drug: Gemcitabin, Cisplatin and Durvalumab; CICI (Gemcitabin d1 & d8 Cisplatin d1 & d8, Durvalumab d1) are administered repeating every 21 days for a total of 8 cycles.; Procedure: Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography with stenting; ERCP with stenting are applied at baseline and as clinically indicated; Procedure: Biliary Radiofrequency Ablation; Biliary Radiofrequency Ablation is applied at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Any grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AE) leading to systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without ICI discontinuation up to six months after randomization.	AEs will be assessed according to US National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v5). Treatment discontinuation is defined as deferral of administration by at least four weeks or a definite stop of all systemic anti-tumor therapy with or without ICI agents.	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Endoscopic complications as measured by the Adverse events GastRointestEstinal Endoscopy (AGREE) criteria specifically developed for endoscopic interventions	Current guideline definitions for cholangitis, post-ERCP pancreatitis and bleeding are applied. The rate of readmissions for biliary complications will be assessed specifically by being defined as any non-elective endoscopic reintervention after the first stent placement and will be documented in terms of timing, type of intervention, hospitalization and its duration and resolution.	6 months
Change in health-related quality-of-life at baseline, 3 and 6 months from the start of the CICI treatment as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30	EORTC QLQ-C30 (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire quality of life questionnaire core 30), scores range from 0 to 100, where a high scale score represents a higher response level.	6 months
Number of courses of CICI applied		6 months
Total dose of CICI applied		6 months
Disease-specific quality-of-life as measured by the EORTC QLQ-BIL21 before every CICI cycle and at 3 and 6 months after the start of CICI treatment.	EORTC QLQ-BIL21 (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire for measuring quality of life in patients with cholangiocarcinoma and cancer of the gallbladder), scores range from 0 to 100, where a lower score means a better quality of life.	6 months
Stent patency at month 3 visit and at 6 months after the start of CICI treatment.		6 months
Number of patients with any grade 3 or 4 Adverse Events (AE) leading to discontinuation or non-initiation of CICI up to six months after randomization.		6 months
Number of patients not starting CICI within 4 weeks after randomization.		6 months
Time from randomization to CICI start.		6 months
Progression-free survival: The time until either progression of the underlying disease or death, whichever occurs first, assessed from the time of up to 6 months after randomization.		6 months
Death from any cause at the follow-up at 6 months after randomization (overall survival).		6 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Details of adverse events		6 months
Overall survival at 24 months after randomization	This will be an investigator-initiated sub-study outside this protocol	24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
• Collaborators: Swiss Cancer League
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. med. Reiner Wiest, Inselspital Bern University Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Kelley RK, Ueno M, Yoo C, Finn RS, Furuse J, Ren Z, Yau T, Klumpen HJ, Chan SL, Ozaka M, Verslype C, Bouattour M, Park JO, Barajas O, Pelzer U, Valle JW, Yu L, Malhotra U, Siegel AB, Edeline J, Vogel A; KEYNOTE-966 Investigators. Pembrolizumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin compared with gemcitabine and cisplatin alone for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (KEYNOTE-966): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2023 Jun 3;401(10391):1853-1865. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00727-4. Epub 2023 Apr 16.
• Rimini M, Fornaro L, Lonardi S, Niger M, Lavacchi D, Pressiani T, Lucchetti J, Giordano G, Pretta A, Tamburini E, Pirrone C, Rapposelli IG, Diana A, Martinelli E, Garajova I, Simionato F, Schirripa M, Formica V, Vivaldi C, Caliman E, Rizzato MD, Zanuso V, Nichetti F, Angotti L, Landriscina M, Scartozzi M, Ramundo M, Pastorino A, Daniele B, Cornara N, Persano M, Gusmaroli E, Cerantola R, Salani F, Ratti F, Aldrighetti L, Cascinu S, Rimassa L, Antonuzzo L, Casadei-Gardini A. Durvalumab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in advanced biliary tract cancer: An early exploratory analysis of real-world data. Liver Int. 2023 Aug;43(8):1803-1812. doi: 10.1111/liv.15641.
• Pfister T, Chan SCW, Trelle S, Butikofer S, Winterhalder R, Koessler T, Schlag C, Fritsch R, Frossard JL, Moser A, Berger MD, Wiest R. Ablatio-bilica: safety of biliary intraductal radiofrequency ablation in patients with unresectable extrahepatic biliary tract cancer undergoing systemic anti-tumor therapy: a phase II, multi-center, randomized, and controlled study. Front Oncol. 2026 Feb 24;15:1576401. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1576401. eCollection 2025.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 20, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2030

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): February 23, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 26, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 21, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Adverse events; Radiofrequency ablation; Durvalumab + chemotherapy; Chemo-immune-checkpoint-inhibitor; Extra hepatic biliary tract cancer
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Digestive System Diseases; Biliary Tract Diseases; Bile Duct Diseases; Biliary Tract Neoplasms; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds; Equipment and Supplies; Inorganic Chemicals; Chlorine Compounds; Nitrogen Compounds; Deoxycytidine; Cytidine; Pyrimidine Nucleosides; Pyrimidines; Platinum Compounds; Prostheses and Implants; Gemcitabine; Cisplatin; durvalumab; Stents
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1938 Ablatio-bilica; SNCPT (Other Identifier: Portal for clinical trials in Switzerland)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: This will be planned only at study completion

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No