Transcatheter artery chemoembolization combined with percutaneous intratumoral injection of Lipiodol emulsion of pirarubicin for advanced hepatocellular carcinomas:an analysis of clinical efficacy

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of transcatheter artery chemoembolization(TACE) combined with percutaneous intratumoral injection of Lipiodol emulsion of pirarubicin in treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods Eighty cases with advanced primary HCC were randomly divided into two groups.Patients in TACE group(n = 34) were treated with simple TACE,and patients in combination therapy group(n = 46) were treated with TACE together with percutaneous intratumoral injection of Lipiodol emulsion of pirarubicin.All patients were followed up for 6-36 months.Postoperative adverse effects and complications were recorded.CT scanning,AFP level and hepatic functions were reexamined.The survival rate was calculated.The results were compared between the two groups.Results No significant difference in the incidence of adverse effects and complications existed between the two groups(P0.05).The mean decreasing amount of AFP level in combination therapy group was 78.6%,which was significantly higher than that in simple TACE group(56.1%) with P0.05.The effective remission rate(CR + PR) in combination therapy group was 69.6%,which was significantly higher than that in simple TACE group(55.9%) with P0.05.In both groups significant difference in hepatic functions existed between preoperative data and postoperative ones(P0.05),while no significant difference in preoperative as well as in postoperative hepatic functions existed between the two groups(P0.05).The one-year and two-year survival rates of the combination therapy group were 65.2%and 45.7%respectively, which were significantly higher than those of simple TACE group(38.2%and 26.7% respectively,P0.05).The difference in three-year survival rate between the two groups was not significant(P0.05).Conclusion For the treatment of advanced HCC,TACE combined with percutaneous intratumoral injection of Lipiodol emulsion of pirarubicin is safe and effective,and its clinical therapeutic efficacy is better than that of simple TACE.i