Clinical study of CT-guided radiofrequency ablation plus intratumoral chemotherapy for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of CT-guided radiofrequency ablation plus intratumoral chemotherapy in patients with stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods From February 2014 to May 2015, 38 patients with stage Ⅲ NSCLC who did not receive systematic chemothe-rapy due to advanced age were selected in our hospital. The patients were divided into experimental group (n=19) and control group (n=19) by stratified random method. The patients in experimental group received CT-guided radiofrequency ablation plus Lobaplatin intratumoral chemotherapy, and the patients in control group only received CT-guided radiofrequency ablation. The adverse events, Karnofsky performance system (KPS) scores, 1-year overall survival rates and short-term curative effects of patients in the two groups were observed. Results All 38 patients completed the course of therapy successfully. The 3-month response rates and 6-month response rates in experimental group and control group were 89.5% vs. 63.2% and 78.9% vs. 52.6%, with no significant differences (P=0.124; P=0.170). The KPS score improvement rates were 42.1% (8/19) and 31.6% (6/19) in experimental group and control group, the KPS score stable rates were 52.6% (10/19) and 52.6% (10/19) in the two groups, and the KPS score deterioration rates were 5.3% (1/19) and 15.8% (3/19) in the two groups, with no significant differences (P=0.737; P=1.000; P=0.290). The 1-year survival rate of patients in experimental group was higher than that in control group (89.5% vs. 73.7%), with a significant difference (χ2=5.573, P=0.034). The rates of less than or equal to grade 3 pain (31.6% vs. 42.1%), low fever (21.1% vs. 26.3%), aerothorax (31.6% vs. 42.1%), gastrointestinal reaction (15.8% vs. 31.6%) and bone marrow depression (5.3% vs. 15.8%) in experimental group were lower than those in control group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.501; P=0.703; P=0.501; P=0.252; P=0.290). Conclusion CT-guided radiofrequency ablation plus intratumoral che-motherapy for stage Ⅲ NSCLC can improve short-term survival rate, and it does not increase the adverse reaction. While, the long-term overall survival rate has yet to be followed up. Key words: Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung; Catheter ablation; Lobaplatin; Intratumoral chemotherapy