A Liver-First Approach Using Ablation for Oligometastatic Pancreatic Cancer: A Report of a Successful Case

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, often accompanied by liver metastases as a common manifestation. While palliative chemotherapy remains the mainstay treatment for liver metastatic PC, local treatment approaches have gained attention, especially for patients with oligometastasis who exhibit a positive response to chemotherapy. This case report illustrates the successful application of a liver-first strategy in a 79-year-old male diagnosed with liver oligometastatic PC, originating in the pancreatic tail. The strategy encompassed percutaneous microwave ablation for liver metastases, followed by FOLFIRINOX (5-fluorouracil, folic acid, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin) chemotherapy, and subsequent primary tumor resection. The patient has remained disease-free for over a year post-surgery. This multidisciplinary approach may hold promise for selected patients with liver oligometastatic PC, although further research and case studies are needed for comprehensive evaluation.