Clinical application of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with percutaneous radiofrequency in the treatment of large hepatic tumors

Objective: To investigate the clinical role of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization ( TACE) combined with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation(RFA) in the treatment of large hepatic tumors. Methods: All of 42 patients with hepatocellular carcinomas were divided into three groupsCombination group consisted of14 patients ,received a combination therapy of TACE and RFA ;Fifteen patients were given the second TACE therapy only . And 13 patients with RFA therapy were the third group. The tumor necrosis rate and mean survival duration were observed. Results: Tumor necrosis rate was 78.6% in combination group , which was significantly higher than those in TACE group and RFA group (26.7%、46.2% ,P 0.05).Tumor local recurrence was 21.4%、46.7% and 38.5% in the combination group、 TACE group and RFA group . And there was no significant difference among the three groups(P0.05). Mean survival duration of combination group was 25.1 months, which was higher than that in TACE group (14.6 months)(P0.05).But it was similar to RFA group (19.9months)(P0.05). Conclusions: Compared with TACE or RFA therapy ,the combination therapy improved tumor necrosis rate and prolonged the patients′survival duration.