Therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with iodine-125 seed strand implantation for treating hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus

Objective To study the efficacy of combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with iodine-125 seed implantation in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Methods From January 2015 to January 2019, eighty patients with HCC and PVTT who were treated at Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 71 patients were male and 9 were female, aged (53.1±9.9) years. The patients included 48 patients (group A) who were treated with TACE alone and 32 patients (group B) with TACE combined with iodine-125 seed implantation. The survival time and disease control rate (DCR) of the intrahepatic lesions and PVTT in the two groups were compared. Results There were 32 patients who were successfully implanted with portal vein iodine-125 seed and stents. The DCR of PVTT in group B was significantly better than in group A (90.6% vs. 81.3%, P 0.05). The survival times of group A and group B were (8.0±0.6) and (16.0±2.1) months, respectively. The median survival times were (7.6±1.0) and (14.8±1.5) months respectively. Group B had significantly better survival time than Group A, (both P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that tumor size was an independent risk factor of prognosis (Regression coefficient: 0.960, HR: 0.383, 95% CI: 0.158-0.926, P<0.05). 125I treatment was a protective factor of prognosis (Regression coefficient: -1.525, HR: 0.218, 95% CI: 0.100-0.473, P<0.05). Conclusion For patients with HCC and PVTT, compared with TACE alone, TACE combined with iodine-125 seed implantation could safely and effectively control portal vein tumor thrombus, and prolonged patient survival. Key words: Carcinoma, hepatocellular; Portal vein tumor thrombus; Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization; Iodine radioisotopes