<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_raon-2023-0012_s_006"><h3>Background</h3>
<p>This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of <sup>125</sup>I brachytherapy combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and microwave ablation (MWA) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk locations.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2023-0012_s_007"><h3>Patients and methods</h3>
<p>After 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM), this retrospectively study analyzed 49 patients who underwent TACE +MWA+<sup>125</sup>I brachytherapy (group A) and 98 patients who only received TACE +MWA (group B). The evaluated outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment complications. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis survival was used to compare the two groups.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2023-0012_s_008"><h3>Results</h3>
<p>The patients in group A showed a longer PFS than group B (7.9 <italic>vs</italic>. 3.3 months, P = 0.007). No significant differences were observed in median OS between the two groups (P = 0.928). The objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate of tumors in high-risk locations, and the ORR of intrahepatic tumors were 67.3%, 93.9%, and 51.0%, respectively, in group A, and 38.8%, 79.6% and 29.6%, respectively, in group B (P &lt; 0.001, P = 0.025 and P = 0.011, respectively). TACE-MWA-<sup>125</sup>I (HR = 0.479, P &lt; 0.001) was a significant favorable prognostic factor that affected PFS. The present of portal vein tumor thrombosis was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (HR = 1.625, P = 0.040). The Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage (BCLC C <italic>vs</italic>. B) was an independent factor affecting OS (HR = 1.941, P = 0.038). The incidence of complications was similar between the two groups, except that the incidence of abdominal pain was reduced in the group A (P = 0.007).</p></sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2023-0012_s_009"><h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>TACE-MWA-<sup>125</sup>I resulted in longer PFS and better tumor control than did TACE-MWA in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk locations.</p></sec>
</abstract>

Background
This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 125I brachytherapy combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and microwave ablation (MWA) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk locations.
Patients and methods
After 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM), this retrospectively study analyzed 49 patients who underwent TACE +MWA+125I brachytherapy (group A) and 98 patients who only received TACE +MWA (group B). The evaluated outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment complications. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis survival was used to compare the two groups.
Results
The patients in group A showed a longer PFS than group B (7.9 vs. 3.3 months, P = 0.007). No significant differences were observed in median OS between the two groups (P = 0.928). The objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate of tumors in high-risk locations, and the ORR of intrahepatic tumors were 67.3%, 93.9%, and 51.0%, respectively, in group A, and 38.8%, 79.6% and 29.6%, respectively, in group B (P < 0.001, P = 0.025 and P = 0.011, respectively). TACE-MWA-125I (HR = 0.479, P < 0.001) was a significant favorable prognostic factor that affected PFS. The present of portal vein tumor thrombosis was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (HR = 1.625, P = 0.040). The Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage (BCLC C vs. B) was an independent factor affecting OS (HR = 1.941, P = 0.038). The incidence of complications was similar between the two groups, except that the incidence of abdominal pain was reduced in the group A (P = 0.007).
Conclusions
TACE-MWA-125I resulted in longer PFS and better tumor control than did TACE-MWA in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk locations.

CT-guided <sup>125</sup>I brachytherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk locations after transarterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation: a propensity score-matched study

Radiology and Oncology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

CT-guided I brachytherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk locations after transarterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation: a propensity score-matched study

Background
This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 125I brachytherapy combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and microwave...

CT-guided ¹²⁵I brachytherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk locations after transarterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation: a propensity score-matched study

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Mar 22, 2023

Page range: 127 - 139

Received: Dec 29, 2022

Accepted: Jan 30, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2023-0012

© 2023 Zixiong Chen, Xiaobo Fu, Zhenkang Qiu, Maoyuan Mu, Weiwei Jiang, Guisong Wang, Zhihui Zhong, Han Qi, Fei Gao, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

CT-guided 125I brachytherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk locations after transarterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation: a propensity score-matched study

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Mar 22, 2023

Page range: 127 - 139

Received: Dec 29, 2022

Accepted: Jan 30, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2023-0012

© 2023 Zixiong Chen, Xiaobo Fu, Zhenkang Qiu, Maoyuan Mu, Weiwei Jiang, Guisong Wang, Zhihui Zhong, Han Qi, Fei Gao, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

CT-guided ¹²⁵I brachytherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk locations after transarterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation: a propensity score-matched study