CT-guided Percutaneous Microwave Ablation Combined with Local Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy of Malignant Pulmonary Tumors.

Background and objective: The study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of CT-guided microwave ablation (MWA) combined with ¹²⁵I seed implantation or bronchial arterial infusion (BAI) chemotherapy in the treatment of malignant pulmonary tumors.

Methods: A total of 56 patients who underwent MWA, MWA combined with ¹²⁵I particle implantation, or MWA combined with BAI chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer or metastatic lung cancer from January 2015 to June 2021 in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital were enrolled. Among them, 21 patients were treated with MWA (MWA), 18 with MWA combined with ¹²⁵I seed implantation (MWA+¹²⁵I), and 17 with MWA combined with BAI chemotherapy (MWA+BAI). The short-term outcomes, complications, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score (Zubrod-ECOG-WHO, ZPS), survival, and factors related to survival were compared between the three groups.

Results: The response rate of the MWA group (9.52%) was significantly lower than that of the MWA+¹²⁵I group (50.00%) and MWA+BAI chemotherapy group (47.06%), and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The incidence of complications in the MWA, MWA+¹²⁵I, and MWA+BAI chemotherapy groups was 47.62%, 55.56%, and 52.94%, respectively, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). Three months after the treatment, the ZPS of the MWA+¹²⁵I and MWA+BAI chemotherapy groups was significantly lower than before treatment and significantly lower than that of the MWA group in the same period; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The median survival time of the MWA+¹²⁵I group was 18 (9.983, 26.017) months and that of the MWA+BAI chemotherapy group was 21 (0.465, 41.535) months, both of which were higher than that of the MWA group [11 (6.686, 15.314) months]; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Cox regression analysis was performed on the factors related to survival and revealed treatment mode as a protective factor [HR = 0.433, 95% CI = (0.191, 0.984), p = 0.046]. Other factors, such as gender, age, and tumor size, did not independently affect survival.

Conclusion: CT-guided MWA combined with ¹²⁵I seed implantation and MWA combined with BAI chemotherapy are safe and effective for the treatment of advanced lung cancer and metastatic lung cancer, and can control tumor progression and prolong survival time.