Cryosurgery with combination of125iodine seed implantation for the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic value of cryosurgery with combination of 125iodine seed implantation for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer were enrolled in this study. The diagnosis was confirmed by pathology in 31 patients. Ten patients had metastases of the peripancreatic lymph node and eight had liver metastases. The therapy included cryosurgery, which was performed intra-operatively or percutaneously under guidance of ultrasound and/or computed tomography (CT), and 125iodine seed implantation, which was performed during cryosurgery process or post-cryosurgery under the guidance of ultrasound and/or CT. RESULTS: Eleven patients received intra-operative cryosurgery and 27 received percutaneous cryosurgery. Fourteen patients underwent two procedures of cryosurgery and three underwent three procedures of cryosurgery. 125Iodine seed implantation was performed during the freezing procedure in 29 patients and within 3–7 days after cryosurgery in nine patients under ultrasound and CT guidance. Fifteen patients, of whom 13 had metastases of peripancreatic lymph nodes or liver received regional chemotherapy. At 3 months after therapy, a CT follow-up was performed to estimate the tumor response to therapy. Most of the patients had varying degrees of tumor necrosis. A complete response of the tumor was seen in 23.6% of patients, a partial response in 42.1%, stable disease in 26.3% and progressive disease in 7.9%. The adverse effects associated with cryosurgery mainly included pain of the upper abdomen and increased serum amylase activity. Acute pancreatitis was seen in five patients, one of whom presented a severe type of pancreatitis. During the followed-up of a median of 16 months (range of 5–37) median overall survival was 12 months, 19 patients (50.0%) survived for 12 months or longer and four survived for 24 months or longer. CONCLUSION: As it is far less invasive than conventional pancreas resection and entails a low rate of adverse effects, cryosurgery should be the choice modality for most patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. 125Iodine seed implantation can destroy residue survival cancer cells after cryosurgery. Hence, combination of both modalities has a complementary effect.