Irreversible electroporation and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma

The safety and efficacy of irreversible electroporation (IRE) for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma (LAPC) are well established. However, whether adjuvant chemoradiotherapy after IRE increases, the survival rate remains unknown. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of chemoradiotherapy combined with IRE in patients with LAPC.

We retrospectively analyzed 42 patients with LAPC between July 2015 and December 2016 at PLA General Hospital treated with IRE or IRE combined with radiation and/or chemotherapy. These patients were divided into the IRE group and the combined-therapy group. All patients underwent computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, and positron-emission tomography-CT and no signs of metastases were found. The prognosis of these patients was observed.

The times after operation and after diagnosis in the combined-therapy group (304.20 ± 118.54) and (334.40 ± 114.07) days, respectively, were better those than in the IRE group (214.36 ± 95.68) and (244.68 ± 110.61) days, respectively. Moreover, patients in the combined-therapy group had a significantly better survival rate than the IRE group (80 vs. 45.45%, P < 0.05).

IRE combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy was superior to IRE alone for the treatment of LAPC, as it prolonged the survival time and improved the survival rate, making it worthy of wide dissemination and clinical application.