RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study intended to explore the efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided implantation of iodine-125 (125I) seeds in the treatment of refractory malignant tumors with cancer pain and its influence on tumor markers in the serum. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 76 patients with refractory malignant tumors accompanied by cancer pain that received treatments in LongHua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 2013 to August 2014 were selected. They were divided into control group and observation group using a random number table (38 patients in each group). Patients in the control group received simple chemotherapy, while those in the observation group undergone CT-guided implantation of 125I seeds in combination with chemotherapy. Recent efficacy and 1-3-year survival rate were compared between the two groups of patients. The degree of pain relief after treatment was also compared between the two groups of patients. Electrochemiluminescence method was used to detect the concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), sugar chain antigen 199 (CA 199), sugar chain antigen 125 (CA 125), neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and cytokeratin-19-fragment (CYFRA21-1) in the two groups of patients before treatment, and 3 days, 7 days and 30 days after treatment. RESULTS: Recent disease control rate of the patients in the observation group was higher than that of the patients in the control group (p<0.05). The 1-3-year survival rate after surgery in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). The total efficiency of pain control in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). The levels of tumor markers in the two groups of patients were significantly decreased after treatment, while the reduction in the observation group was more evident than that in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that CT-guided implantation of 125I seeds is effective for the treatment of patients with refractory malignant tumors accompanied by cancer pain. It can reduce the levels of tumor markers, improve the survival rate and prolong the survival time of the patients.