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OncoMatch/Clinical Trials/NCT05551299

Treatment of Non-resectable Bile Duct Cancer with Radiofrequency Ablation or Photodynamic Therapy

Is NCT05551299 recruiting? Yes, currently enrolling (May 2026). This Phase 4 trial studies Photosensitizer for hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Phase 4RecruitingUniversity of LeipzigNCT05551299Data as of May 2026

Treatment: PhotosensitizerBile duct cancer is often diagnosed after curative options are no longer available. Stent therapy is used to keep the ducts open and can be combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) to extend life expectancy. PDT requires an injection of photosensitizer after which light of a particular wavelength is applied endoscopically to kill the cancer cells. Drawbacks include not only high costs and poor availability, but foremost that patients have to avoid direct sunlight for a period of weeks. Radio frequency ablation (RFA) together with stent implantation constitutes an alternative by which the cancer cells are killed through heat, also applied endoscopically. The RFA technology is more widely available and easier to deploy. However, it has not been studied extensively and no randomized trials exist comparing the two methods. This trial will compare survival in patients with a particular bile duct cancer depending on whether they receive PDT or RFA. Moreover, data will be collected on side-effects and quality of life.

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Extracted eligibility criteria

Cancer type

Cholangiocarcinoma

Performance status

ECOG 0–2(Ambulatory, capable of self-care)

Prior therapy

Cannot have received: radiation therapy

Cannot have received: photodynamic therapy

Cannot have received: radiofrequency ablation

Lab requirements

Blood counts

Leukopenia (< 2000/mm3); Thrombocytopenia (< 100,000 / mm³); Severe, uncorrected coagulopathy (at the discretion of the physician)

Kidney function

Severely impaired kidney function (at the discretion of the physician)

Liver function

Severely impaired liver function (at the discretion of the physician)

Leukopenia (< 2000/mm3); Thrombocytopenia (< 100,000 / mm³); Severe, uncorrected coagulopathy (at the discretion of the physician); Severely impaired liver and or kidney function (at the discretion of the physician)

Structured fields extracted by AI. May contain errors — verify against the official protocol.

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