Portal Vein Stenting Combined with Iodine-125 Seeds Endovascular Implantation Followed by Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus

Aim was to assess the therapeutic value of portal vein stenting (PVS) combined with iodine-125 seed ((125)I seed) strand endovascular implantation followed by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). This was a retrospective study of 34 patients aged 29–81 years, diagnosed HCC with PVTT, and treated with PVS combined with (125)I seed strand endovascular implantation followed by TACE between January 2012 and August 2014. Survival, stent patency, technical success rate, complications related to the procedure, and adverse events were recorded. The technical success rate was 100%. No serious procedure-related adverse event was recorded. The median survival was 147 days. The cumulative survival rates and stent patency rates at 90, 180, and 360 days were 94.1%, 61.8%, and 32.4% and 97.1% (33/34), 76.9% (24/34), and 29.4% (10/34), respectively. PVS combined with (125)I seed strand endovascular implantation followed by TACE is feasible for patients with HCC and PVTT. It resulted in appropriate survival and stent patency, with no procedure-related adverse effects.