Clinical study on microwave ablation combined with concurrent chemotherapy in treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of microwave ablation combined with concurrent chemotherapy in treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods Thirty-one patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer with between August 2013 and April 2016 were divided into two groups according to the different treatments: 15 patients in the control group were treated with gemcitabine monotherapy; 16 patients in the combination group were treated with the same regimen as control group 1-2 weeks after the microwave ablation. The efficacy and side effects of the two groups were compared by chi-square test. Results The effective rates in the combination group and control group were 25.0% (4/16) and 13.3% (2/15), the difference between the two groups was not significant (χ 2= 1.034, P= 0.247); the local control rates were 68.8% (11/16) and 26.7% (4/15), the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (χ 2= 6.579, P= 0.012). The pain relief rates in the combination group and control group were 87.5% (14/16) and 26.7% (4/15) (χ 2= 8.146, P= 0.004). The 3-, 6-, 9-and 12-month survival rates in the combination group and control group were 100.0% vs. 100.0% (P= 1.000), 68.8% vs. 40.0% (P= 0.097), 56.3% vs. 20.0% (P= 0.033), 50.0% vs. 13.3% (P= 0.021). In the combination group, 9 cases (56.3%) occurred postablation syndrome, the serum amylase of 7 cases (43.8%) increased 1d after ablation, 1 case (6.3%) occurred pancreatic fistula. The intraoperative and perioperative death did not occur. The main complications of the two groups were myelosuppression, gastrointestinal reactions and so on. Conclusions Microwave ablation combined with concurrent chemotherapy has a synergistic effect in treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer. In disease control rate, pain relief rate and survival of patients, microwave ablation combined with concurrent chemotherapy is better than chemotherapy alone, but the adverse reactions are similar. Key words: Pancreatic neoplasms; Microwave ablation; Drug therapy; Safety