Analyses of clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation in liver cancer adjacent to the gallbladder and its prognosis.

PURPOSE

To explore the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in liver cancer adjacent to the gallbladder and to analyze its prognosis.

METHODS

80 patients with liver cancer adjacent to the gallbladder, who were admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to April 2018, were enrolled and divided into the Observation group (n=40) and the Control group (n=40). All of the patients underwent cholecystectomy and lymph node dissection combined with postoperative chemotherapy. RFA was performed in the Observation group, while radical cholecystectomy and radical hepatectomy were conducted simultaneously in the Control group. Follow up was by telephone, and tumor-associated factor levels, liver function and cellular and humoral immune function-related indicators at 1 month after intervention, tumor size before and after treatment and cases of normal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level and tumor disappearance after treatment were compared between the two groups. The complications rates during treatment (increase in transaminases, elevation of bilirubin, intratumoral hemorrhage, bile duct injury and gastrointestinal perforation), clinical efficacy and 1-year survival in the two groups were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

At 1 month after intervention, the Observation group had substantially lower levels of tumor-associated factors AFP, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (p<0.05), obviously lower levels of liver function indicators aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBIL), indirect bilirubin (IBIL) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) (p<0.05), but distinctly higher levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA and IgM, cluster of differentiation 4+ (CD4+), CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ (p<0.05) than the Control group. Before and after treatment, the tumor size in the Observation group was smaller than in the Control group (p<0.05). The Observation group exhibited notably more cases of normal APF level and tumor disappearance after treatment (p<0.05), markedly lower incidence rates of increase in transaminases, elevation of bilirubin, intratumoral hemorrhage, bile duct injury and gastrointestinal perforation during treatment (p<0.05) than the Control group. Additionally, the rate of stable disease (SD) was notably higher and the 1-year survival rate was higher in the Observation group than in the Control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

RFA for liver cancer adjacent to the gallbladder can effectively lower the levels of tumor markers, improve liver function and enhance immunity, with a few operative complications and high efficacy, so it has a positive impact in prolonging the survival of patients.