125I seed for the treatment of late cancer of the liver

Objectives: To investigate whether iodine-125 radioactive seed can be used for the treatment of late cancer of the liver. Methods: Ten patients with unresectable (primary or metastatic) cancer of the liver were studied. Nine patients were male and 1 was female. The mean age was 61+/-14 years old. Five of the patients had primary liver of the cancer. Before treatment was initiated, informed consents were collected. The iodine-125 radioactive seeds were provided by the China Academy of Atomic Energy. The radioactivity of each seed was 0.8 mCi The num.ber of seeds to be implanted was estimated according to the size of the tumor measured through CT scan. On the day of the operation, the patients we to the department of radiology and a CT scan performed and the location and angle of puncture evaluated by the radiologist, Then needles for delivering the seeds were inserted into the tumor through the skin. While the tip of the needles was at the desired location, the seeds were implanted into the tumor. In some cases, bleeding occurred, but this did not stop the implantation. After the and their successfully completed, a CT scan was performed to confirm the number of seeds implanted and their distribution. One month after the implantation, the patients were reevaluated with CT scan to investigate whether the tumor had shrunk or not. The patients were followed up for 6 months. Results: Of the ten patients, 1 committed suicide because of severe bone pain caused by bone metastasis. Another patient died of other cause other than cancer itself. All the other patients were alive at 6 month after the operation and CT scan was performed. All tumor of the nine patients shrunk significantly. Conclusion: Iodine-125 brachytherapy is effective for the treatment of late cancer of the liver. (authors)