Eleven cases of DEB-TACE comprehensive interventional strategy for stage Ⅲa hypo-vascular hepatocellular carcinoma / 中国肿瘤临床

ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of portal vein stenting combined with 125I particle strand implantation followed by drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) and molecular-targeted therapy for the treatment of stageⅢa liv-er cancer lacking a blood supply. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 11 patients who had stageⅢa liver cancer lacking a blood sup-ply combined with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) was conducted from October 2016 to October 2018. All the patients under-went portal vein stenting combined with 125I particle strand implantation, DEB-TACE, and comprehensive treatment containing molecu-lar-targeted drugs. During the follow-up period, all patients were evaluated for stent patency after the implantation and tumor re-sponse after DEB-TACE treatment. The liver function and blood routine changes before and 1 month after the surgery were completed, and the complications were summarized. Results: All 11 patients were judged as stageⅢa liver cancer based on the Chinese staging criteria (2017), Child-Pugh classification grade A and B. The imaging findings indicated that these tumors were hypovascular. The maxi-mum diameter of these lesions was (8.4±4.1) (2.8-14.1) cm, and all patients had PVTT. Among them, there were 4 cases of Cheng's typeⅡand 7 cases of typeⅢ: 6 cases of main PVTT≥50% and 1 case of PVTT<50%. All patients underwent portal vein stenting com-bined with 125I particle strand implantation, DEB-TACE, and comprehensive treatment containing molecular-targeted drugs. Three and 6 months after stent implantation, the patency rate was 100%; 3 months after DEB-TACE treatment, complete response was achieved in 4 (36.4%) patients, partial response was achieved in 5 (45.5%) patients, and stable disease was achieved in 2 (18.2%) patients. No patients exhibited progressive disease. Therefore, the objective response rate was 81.8% and disease control rate was 100%. As for the liver and kidney function and blood routine tests, there were no significant differences between baseline and 1 month after the sur- gery. In addition, no patient had any serious complication during the perioperative period. Conclusions: For patients with stageⅢa liv-er cancer lacking a blood supply and PVTT, a comprehensive treatment strategy including portal vein stenting combined with 125I parti-cle strand implantation, DEB-TACE, and molecular-targeted therapy can restore portal vein blood flow and maintain mid-and long-term stent patency, while effectively killing tumors and controlling tumor growth, which is a safe and effective treatment strategy.