Efficacy and safety of microsphere transarterid chemoembolization combined with radiotherapy versus microsphere transarterial chemoembolization alone in treatment of patients with unresectable liver cancer / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

@#ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of microsphere transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiotherapy in the treatment of patients with unresectable liver cancer. MethodsA total of 68 patients with unresectable liver cancer were enrolled in Shantou central hospital from January 2016 to October 2018, among whom there were 65 male and 3 female patients, with a median age of 55 years (range 36-75 years). These patients were randomly divided into microsphere TACE group with 34 patients and microsphere TACE combined with radiotherapy group (combined group with 34 patients). The two groups were compared in terms of short-term response rate, progression-free survival (PFS) rate, overall survival (OS) rate, and adverse events to evaluate safety. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were used for comparison of PFS and OS rates. ResultsUp to the last follow-up on April 30, 2019, all patients completed treatment as planned and the median follow-up time was 15.2 months. A total of 25 deaths were observed. The objective response rate was 50.0% in the microsphere TACE group and 76.5% in the combined group, and the combined group had a significantly better short-term response than the microsphere TACE group (χ2=7.995, P=0046). For the microsphere TACE group, the 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month OS and PFS rates were 94.1%/76.5%, 69.0%/47.1%, 51.3%/23.9%, and 30.9%/9.6%, respectively, and for the combined group, the 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month OS and PFS rates were 100%/93.7%, 87.8%/81.1%, 75.1%/52.9%, and 58.2%/44.1%, respectively; the combined group had significantly better PFS and OS time than the microsphere TACE group (χ2=9.027 and 4.288, P=0.002 7 and 0.038). There was a low incidence rate of adverse events in the two groups, and no treatment-related death was observed. ConclusionCompared with microsphere TACE alone, microsphere TACE combined with radiotherapy significantly improves short-term response and long-term survival in patients with unresectable liver cancer and thus provides a more effective and safer treatment for such patients.