Clinical effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with argon-helium cryoablation in patients with advanced unresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) combined with argon-helium cryoablation in patients with advanced unresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods TACE was performed in 35 patients with primary HCC who were admitted to our hospital from May 2008 to June 2010.After 2-3 weeks of treatment,the patients received argon-helium cryoablation,followed by a second TACE in 1-2 weeks.The short-term efficacy after treatment was evaluated and the long-term survival was studied by follow-up.Comparison between two groups was made by t test,and survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier survival curves.Results The clinical outcomes of all 35 patients were evaluated.Complete response was observed in 7 patients,partial response in 21 patients,stable disease in 4 patients,and progressive disease in 3 patients.The overall response rate was 80.00%,and the disease control rate was 91.43%.The 2-and 3-year survival rates were 45.6% and 39.4%,respectively.The level of alpha-fetoprotein AFP in patients after the treatment(206.2 ± 48.6 μg / L) was significantly lower than that before the treatment(837.6 ±216.7 μg / L)(t = 2.673,P < 0.05).Conclusion TACE combined with argon-helium cryoablation is a reliable therapeutic approach in treating advanced unresectable primary HCC,and the advantages include minimal invasion,fast recovery,and few complications.