Objective: To study the efficacy and safety of transhepatic arterial "dual-thermotherapy" (DT) for parenchymal hepatic cells carcinoma.
Methods: Fifty patients (mean age 55.5 years, DT group) with parenchymal hepatic cells carcinoma were treated with transhepatic arterial thermochemotherapy with warmed lipiodol (80 degrees C) and warmed chemotherapeutic agents (50 degrees C). Another 50 patients (mean age 54 years) were treated with ordinary transhepatic arterial chemomembolization (TACE) with the same chemotherapeutic drugs but without warming (TACE group).
Results: The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 77.6%, 53.1% and 46.1%, respectively, in TD group; and 54.4%, 24.2% and 16.1%, resectively, in TACE group; the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The sidejeffect of the feeling of cauterization (cases/persistence time) in DT group was statistically significant compared with TACE group (P<0.05), and the difference was not statistically significant about other side-effects.
Conclusion: Transhepatic arterial perfusion of warmed lipiodol (80 degrees C) and chemotherapeutic agents (50 degrees C), namely, "dual-thermotherapy" is a simple, safe and effective method for treating hepatic carcinoma with less complications than ordinary TACE.