Randomized Controlled Trial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Jun 27, 2024; 16(6): 1756-1764
Published online Jun 27, 2024. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v16.i6.1756
Radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for recurrent liver cancer
Jin-You Guo, Li-Li Zhao, Hui-Jun Cai, Hui Zeng, Wei-Dong Mei
Jin-You Guo, Li-Li Zhao, Hui-Jun Cai, Wei-Dong Mei, Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province Taizhou Yuhuan City, Taizhou 317605, Zhejiang Province, China
Hui Zeng, Department of Interventional, China's Zhejiang Province Tumor Hospital, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Guo JY, Zhao LL, Cai HJ, Zeng H, and Mei WD designed research; Cai HJ and Zeng H performed research; Mei WD contributed new reagents/analytic tools; Cai HJ and Mei WD analyzed data; Guo JY and Zhao LL wrote paper.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by The Second People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province Taizhou Yuhuan City, No. 2023-028.
Clinical trial registration statement: The study was not clinically registered.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 Statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 Statement.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wei-Dong Mei, BM BCh, Attending Doctor, Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province Taizhou Yuhuan City, No. 77 Environmental Protection Middle Road, Chumen Town, Yuhuan City, Taizhou 317605, Zhejiang Province, China. mwd20240204@163.com
Received: March 12, 2024
Revised: April 29, 2024
Accepted: May 23, 2024
Published online: June 27, 2024
Processing time: 109 Days and 23.3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

The recurrence rate of liver cancer after surgery is high. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective treatment for liver cancer; however, its efficacy in recurrent liver cancer remains unclear.

AIM

To investigate the clinical effect of TACE combined with RFA in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer.

METHODS

Ninety patients with recurrent liver cancer were divided into 2 groups according to treatment plan: Control (RFA alone); and experimental [TACE combined with RFA (TACE + RFA)]. The incidence of increased alanine aminotransferase levels, complications, and other indices were compared between the two groups before and after the procedures.

RESULTS

One month after the procedures, the short-term efficacy rate and Karnofsky Performance Status scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and total bilirubin levels were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); The overall response rate was 82.22% and 66.67% in the experimental and control groups, respectively; The disease control rate was 93.33% and 82.22% in the experimental and control groups, respectively, the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.05). And there were no statistical differences in complications between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

TACE + RFA was effective for the treatment of recurrent liver cancer and significantly reduced AFP levels and improved various indices of liver function.

Keywords: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, Radiofrequency ablation, Recurrent liver cancer, Clinical efficacy, Overall response rate, Disease control rate

Core Tip: The postoperative recurrence rate of liver cancer is high. Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective treatment for liver cancer, its efficacy in recurrent liver cancer remains unclear. Results of the present study revealed that TACE combined with RFA was effective for the treatment of recurrent liver cancer and could significantly reduce alpha-fetoprotein levels and improve various indices of liver function.