ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the clinical effect of high intensity focused ultrasound(HIFU)combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)in the treatment of primary liver cancer.Methods A total of 106 patients with primary liver cancer were divided into two groups:50 cases were treated with TACE,and the other 56 were treated with combination of HIFU and TACE.The changes of AFP levels and the size of tumors after three months treatment were analyzed and compared with each other.The survival rates for one,two and three years were calculated with Kaplan-Meier method and compared between the two groups.Results In the two groups,AFP decreased significantly after treatment,but the combined group was superior to the other in AFP decrease.In the combined group,the 1-,2-and 3-year survival rates were higher than those in the TACE group with 82.3%,60.8%and 39.2% vs 68.0%,42.6%and 21.0%respectively(P＜0.01).No serious complications were seen,such as burn of skin,bleeding,gastrointestinal perforation. Conclusion The use of HIFU combined with TACE in the treatment of patients with primary liver cancers is feasible and safe.The combined group is superior to simple TACE for the management of primary liver cancers,and the former is more effective in decreasing AFP level and improving survival rates.
