Application of radioactive iodine-125 microparticles in hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein embolus

Background: Radioactive iodine-125 (¹²⁵I) microparticle therapy is a new type of internal radiation therapy that has shown unique advantages in the treatment of malignant tumors, especially hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma frequently experience portal vein embolism, which exacerbates the difficulty and complexity of treatment. ¹²⁵I particles, used in local radiotherapy, can directly act on tumor tissue and reduce damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Through retrospective analysis, this study discussed the efficacy and safety of radioactive ¹²⁵I particles in portal vein embolization patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in order to provide more powerful evidence supporting clinical treatment.

Aim: To investigate the effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with portal vein ¹²⁵I particle implantation in the treatment of primary liver cancer patients with portal vein tumor thrombus and its influence on liver function.

Methods: The clinical data of 96 patients with primary liver cancer combined with portal vein tumor thrombus admitted to our hospital between January 2020 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-two patients received treatment with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and implantation of ¹²⁵I particles in the portal vein (combination group), while 44 patients received treatment with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone (control group). The therapeutic effects on tumor lesions, primary liver cancer, and portal vein tumor embolisms were compared between the two groups. Changes in relevant laboratory indexes before and after treatment were evaluated. The t test was used to compare the measurement data between the two groups, and the χ ² test was used to compare the counting data between groups.

Results: The tumor lesion response rate in the combination group (59.62% vs 38.64%) and the response rate of patients with primary liver cancer complicated with portal vein tumor thrombus (80.77% vs 59.09%) were significantly greater than those in the control group (χ ² = 4.196, 5.421; P = 0.041, 0.020). At 8 wk after surgery, the serum alpha-fetoprotein, portal vein main diameter, and platelet of the combined group were significantly lower than those of the control group, and the serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin were significantly greater than those of the control group (t = 3.891, 3.291, 2.330, 3.729, 3.582, 4.126; P < 0.05). The serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels of the two groups were significantly greater than those of the same group 8 wk after surgery (P < 0.05), and the peripheral blood platelet, alpha-fetoprotein, and main portal vein diameter were significantly less than those of the same group before surgery (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: In patients with primary liver cancer and a thrombus in the portal vein, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization plus portal vein ¹²⁵I implantation is more effective than transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone. However, during treatment it is crucial to pay attention to liver function injury caused by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.