Authors' results and conclusions: In general, the quality of evidence for both indications is very low. The single-arm studies conducted to determine efficacy and safety results are severely limited due to their small size, short follow-up time, and highly selected populations who had received different types of treatments. Data enabling the calculation of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and other critical outcomes such as quality of life (QoL) were also lacking in many of the studies. This is a major obstacle to drawing conclusions about the potential of IRE to treat these tumours. This was particularly the case with liver cancer, where most studies reported only local recurrence during follow-up. Other important deficiencies include the lack of standardised definitions of success, the unclear classification of IRE-related complications and the different and possible underreporting of some types of AE. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence that IRE is more effective/safe or at least as effective/safe as the conventional standard of care (chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy or palliative care) in the treatment of inoperable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) or that IRE is more effective/safe or at least as effective/safe as the conventional standard of care (transarterial chemoembolisation [TACE], sorafenib or palliative care) in the treatment of primary or secondary inoperable liver cancer that is not suitable for thermal ablation

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: https://aihta.at/page/irreversible-elektroporation-ire-in-der-behandlung-von-tumoren-der-leber-und-des-pankreas/de

Year Published: 2019

URL for published report: http://eprints.aihta.at/1211/1/HTA-Projektbericht_Nr.119.pdf

URL for additional information: http://eprints.aihta.at/1211/

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Full HTA

Country: Austria

Organisation Name: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Health Technology Assessment

Contact Address: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for fuer Health Technology Assessment (LBI-HTA), Garnisongasse 7/rechte Stiege Mezzanin (Top 20), 1090 Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43 1 236 8119 - 0 Fax: +43 1 236 8119 - 99

Contact Name: tarquin.mittermayr@aihta.at

Contact Email: office@aihta.at