125I particle implantation combined with chemoradiotherapy to treat advanced pancreatic cancer

Abstract

To evaluate the therapy effects of (125)I implantation combined with chemoradiotherapy on pancreatic cancer patients. 30 patients with Stage III or IV pancreatic cancer were equally divided into two groups (control and treatment group). The patients in the treatment group (nine males, six females) received chemotherapy in the first week and (125)I implantation in the third week, followed by combined chemoradiotherapy in the fifth week. The patients in the control group (10 males, 5 females) received the same treatment except (125)I implantation. The therapy in the control group and treatment group was repeated every 4 weeks. The median conformal radiotherapy dose in the treatment group (30.62 Gy) was significantly lower than that in the control group (47.86 Gy). The total radiation dose was 88.71 ± 27.39 Gy, and the surface activity was 0.6 mCi in the treatment group. After treatment, the average tumour size decreased both in the treatment group [9.17 cm(2), 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.60-12.74, p < 0.001] and in the control group (4.54 cm(2), 95% CI: 2.74-6.35, p < 0.001). The median survival time in the treatment group was 14 months (95% CI: 12.215-14.785) and in the control group was 12 months (95% CI: 10.884-13.116). There was no statistical significance in survival rates between the two groups (χ(2) = 0.908, p = 0.341). (125)I implanted into tumour combined with chemoradiotherapy has higher local control rate of advanced pancreatic cancer than chemoradiotherapy. We combined chemoradiotherapy with (125)I implantation to treat advanced pancreatic cancer and obtained a higher local control rate and better quality of life than when using chemoradiatherapy alone.