UT Health San Antonio doctors provide new hope for pancreatic cancer patients

Less-invasive RFA method seen as a complementary treatment

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital became the first in South Texas to use an emerging and less-invasive treatment called radiofrequency ablation on a comorbid patient with a pancreatic cancer tumor that couldn't be removed by surgery.

The method, RFA for short, delivers controlled heat in high-energy radiofrequency waves to a tumor using a small probe from an endoscope, a flexible tube passed through the mouth, destroying cancer cells in a focused area. It may offer benefits for some patients such as shrinking the tumor, easing symptoms and possibly helping them live longer, especially when other options are not safe or possible. Early research suggests it also may "wake up" the body's immune system and help it recognize and fight the cancer.

The achievement is seen as an important milestone for UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, and the patients it serves across the region, as well as for its growing role as a statewide leader in advanced care and innovation in treatment of diseases affecting the pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts.

"This accomplishment exemplifies our collective commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is achievable for our patients, our community and the field of gastroenterology," said Prabhleen Chahal, MD, MASGE, FACG, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at UT Health San Antonio, and professor of medicine at UT San Antonio's Long School of Medicine. "Most importantly, this represents new hope for patients with complex comorbidities who would previously have been considered untreatable."

The recent procedure was performed successfully by Rajat Garg, MD, assistant professor of medicine also in the gastroenterology and nutrition division of the Long School, and a member of its advanced endoscopy team, in coordination with surgical oncology, anesthesiology, medical oncology and perioperative teams at UT Health San Antonio.

The patient had other serious health problems, including liver scarring or cirrhosis, and high blood pressure in his lungs. At the hospital, his case was discussed in detail at weekly multidisciplinary pancreatic tumor board meetings, where specialists from gastroenterology (stomach and intestinal diseases) and other medical fields review complex cases and agree on a unified treatment plan.

After reviewing the patient's scans, medical history and the available evidence, the tumor board determined that surgery and standard chemotherapy would be too risky and decided that endoscopic RFA was the safest and most reasonable treatment option.

Not that RFA is without limitations. Researchers are still studying exactly how helpful it is for pancreatic cancer, so it is not yet a standard treatment like chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. And it requires special equipment and doctors with specific training, so it is usually offered only at certain centers and only for carefully selected patients as part of a broader treatment plan.

Still, Garg credits the hospital with being such a place, from its administrators and staff to the multidisciplinary team at UT Health San Antonio, where this breakthrough could happen.

"Coordination among the entire procedural team – endoscopy doctors, nurses, technicians, the anesthesia team and hospital leadership – made it possible to obtain the device, schedule the procedure and prepare the patient, enabling successful delivery of RFA in the treatment of this aggressive and otherwise difficult-to-manage disease," Garg said.

UT Health San Antonio is the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), offering a comprehensive network of inpatient and outpatient care facilities staffed by medical, dental, nursing and allied health professionals who conduct more than 2.5 million patient visits each year. It is the region's only academic health center and one of the nation's leading health sciences institutions, supported by the schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, graduate biomedical sciences and public health that are leading change and advancing fields throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways "We make lives better^®," visit UTHealthSA.org.

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is listed among U.S. News & World Report's best medical schools, among the top 5% of universities globally for clinical medicine research and ranked as the third-highest medical school in Texas for medical research funding by the National Institutes of Health. The Long School of Medicine supports the university's academic health center, UT Health San Antonio.

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UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital is a premier patient- and family-centered hospital providing specialty surgeries, pioneering procedures and advanced cancer care, integrating our research, teaching and patient care services that make us unique in the market. We have a multidisciplinary approach to complex care and provide access to more clinical trials to advance care than any other hospital in South Texas. It delivers treatment for both common and complex conditions, from cancer and neurological diseases to spine and joint conditions, through personalized care rooted in discovery. Uniting breakthrough research, modern technology and world-class clinical expertise, the hospital stands as a beacon of hope for patients and those who love them.

It is the inaugural hospital of UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) that offers a comprehensive network of inpatient and outpatient care facilities staffed by health professionals who provide more than 2.5 million patient visits each year.

Stay connected with UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

SOURCE UT Health San Antonio