The efficacy of coaxial percutaneous iodine-125 seed implantation combined with arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of coaxial percutaneous Iodine-125 (¹²⁵I) seed implantation in combination with arterial infusion chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) through a randomized controlled trial.

Methods

A total of 101 patients with advanced PC were randomized into two groups: control group treated with systemic intravenous chemotherapy and experimental group that received ¹²⁵I seed implantation in combination with arterial infusion chemotherapy. Outcomes, including tumor control, abdominal pain relief, and survival time were compared between these two groups (Trial Registration No. KYKT2018-65).

Results

Pretreatment abdominal pain scores were comparable between the two groups, whereas the abdominal pain scores at 1- and 3-month post-treatment were significantly lower in the control group than those in the experimental group (1-month: 3.74 ± 1.54 vs. 4.48 ± 1.46, p = .015; 3-month: 3.64 ± 2.21 vs. 5.40 ± 1.56, p < .001). At 3-month post-treatment, computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a significantly higher disease control rate in the experimental group than that in the control group (94.0% vs. 74.5%, p = .007). The median survival time in the experimental group was significantly longer than that in the control group (15-month vs. 9-month, p < .001).

Conclusion

The combination of coaxial percutaneous ¹²⁵I seed implantation with arterial infusion chemotherapy could significantly alleviate abdominal pain, improve tumor control rates, and prolong survival time in patients with advanced PC.

Keywords:

• Brachytherapy
• ¹²⁵I seeds
• arterial infusion chemotherapy
• pancreatic cancer
• interventional oncology

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Professor Bin Wu from the Journal of Wenzhou Medical University for his invaluable guidance on the statistical analysis in this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Medical Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Provincial (Grant No. 2019PY048) and Wu Jieping Medical Foundation (Grant No. 320.6750.2020-10-36).

Notes on contributors

HongXiang Yao

HongXiang Yao is a Professor of interventional medicine at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.

Ying ZhuGe

Ying ZhuGe is the Deputy Director of the Skills Training Center at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.

ShiXiang Jin

ShiXiang Jin is a Professor of interventional medicine at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.

ShuiBing Chen

ShuiBing Chen, MD, is the attending physician of the Interventional Medicine Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.

HengYiTing Zhang

HengYiTing Zhang, MD, is the attending physician of the Interventional Medicine Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.

Dong Zhang

Dong Zhang is a physician in the Interventional Medicine Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.

ZhiGang Chen

ZhiGang Chen, MD, is a physician in the Interventional Medicine Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.