By DoM Communications | Date published: March 5, 2026
Neil Marya and Team Bring New Treatment to Enhance Quality of Life for Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Pancreatic cancer is known to have the highest rate of mortality of all major cancers, with a five-year survival rate of about 13%. Patients often receive a diagnosis when the disease has already progressed, leaving them with limited treatment options.
Neil Marya, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, director of the Program in Digital Medicine, and director of the Digital Medicine Fellowship, and his team recently introduced the concept of Endoscopic ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation (known as EUS-RFA) to enhance both the quality of life and lifespan for patients living with inoperable pancreatic cancer. EUS-RFA uses a needle connected to a generator that creates radio frequencies, increasing the temperature of the needle and allowing it to burn away cancerous tissue without damaging the healthy tissue nearby. According to Dr. Marya, data from the University of Texas shows that patients who receive this therapy are living longer, with some patients extending their lives by several years.
“Many of us have deep roots here and have worked together for years. This was a collaborative effort with everyone highly committed to developing a protocol and introducing this treatment for our pancreas cancer patients,” said Dr. Marya. “We’re the only hospital in New England offering this kind of minimally invasive, well-tolerated, and potentially very promising technology that can alter people’s lives.”
UMass Memorial began enrolling patients for treatment using EUS-RFA in September of 2025.
Please join us in recognizing Dr. Marya and his team for their incredible collaboration in bringing this technology to UMass!