Objective: To investigate the clinical value of CT guided radioactive 125I seed implantation (CTRISI) in the treatment of localized advanced pulmonary carcinoma.
Methods: Thirty-two biopsy -confirmed localized advanced pulmonary carcinoma patients (Group A) with 48 lesions, 5.5 (4.5 -7.5) cm in diameter, clearly demarcated from the adjacent normal tissue, who failed to be improved in the first line chemotherapy, underwent CI-guided implantation of 125I seeds of 23.3 - 30.0 megabecquerel (MBq) into these lesions with the matched peripheral dose of 100-150 Gy. Thirty patients (Group B) treated by first line chemotherapy were randomly selected as the control group.
Results: CT follow-up two months later proved that the local control rate of Group A was 78.1%, significantly higher than that of Group B; the one year survival rate of Group A was 65.0%, significantly higher than that of Group B (48.0%); the median survival time of Group A was 15 months, significantly longer than that of Group B (11 months); no myelosuppression was found in Group, and the myelosuppression rate of Group B was 46.3%. In Group A small amount of effusion was observed, pneumothorax occurred in 4 cases with one of the lungs compressed by less than 30% that was improved after conservative treatment; one week after the procedure bloody sputum occurred in 15 cases.
Conclusion: Improving the living quality obviously and with good short-term effects and few complications, CTGRISI procedure is safe and well-tolerated in treating localized advanced pulmonary carcinoma in Chinese patients.