Although different treatment methods have been introduced to treat advanced
pancreatic carcinoma, the median overall survival rate remains unsatisfactory. Theoretically, combining different treatment methods should work in synergy to enhance locoregional disease control and improve survival. Therefore, the aim of the present retrospective study was to analyze the effectiveness of combined interventional
therapy compared with trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) or
chemotherapy alone for the treatment of unresectable
pancreatic carcinoma. A total of 266 patients who were undergoing treatment for unresectable
pancreatic carcinoma between July 2012 and November 2015 were included in the current study. The
tumor responses and 3-year overall survival rates of patients treated with combined interventional
therapy (TACE combined with
iodine-125 seed implantation and/or
radiofrequency ablation;
CIT group; n=84) were compared with those of patients treated with TACE alone (TACE group; n=59), as well as patients treated with systemic
chemotherapy alone (control group; n=123). Patients in the
CIT group exhibited significantly improved
tumor responses compared with patients in the TACE group (51.89 vs. 30.61%; P=0.028) or control group (51.89 vs. 17.20%; P<0.001). The 3-year overall survival rate of the
CIT group was also significantly higher compared with that of the TACE and control groups (P=0.0116 and P=0.0001, respectively). Furthermore, the
CIT group exhibited a significantly higher overall survival rate for patients with unresectable metastatic
pancreatic cancer compared with the TACE and control groups (P=0.0088 and P<0.0001, respectively), which suggests that a combination of different interventional techniques increases the survival of patients with unresectable
pancreatic cancer. No life-threatening complications were observed in any treatment group. In conclusion, combined interventional
therapy exhibits a good efficacy and an improved survival rate for unresectable
pancreatic cancer compared with TACE alone.