Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy following simultaneous metallic stent placement and iodine-125 seed strands for advanced cholangiocarcinoma causing malignant obstructive jaundice: a propensity score matching study

Objective This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) following the simultaneous placement of self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) and iodine-125 ( 125 I) seed strands for the management of advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients presenting with malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ). Methods Data from 74 patients with MOJ caused by advanced CCA treated with stent placement with 125 I seed strands with or without HAIC between November 2015 and October 2020 were analysed retrospectively. Eighteen patients received 5 sessions of HAIC after SEMS placement with 125 I seed strands (HAIC group), and 56 patients only underwent SEMS placement with 125 I seed strands and served as controls (control group). HAIC consisted of infusions of gemcitabine (600–1000 mg/m 2 given over 30 min) followed by oxaliplatin (60–100 mg/m 2 given over 2 h), with an interval of 4 weeks. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to adjust for differences in the baseline characteristics of the groups (including age, total bilirubin, and serum alanine aminotransferase level). Overall survival (OS), stent patency, and adverse events were compared between the two groups. Results OS and stent patency were significantly better in patients in the HAIC group than in those in the control group (median survival time: before PSM, 362 vs. 185 days, p = 0.005; after PSM, 357 vs. 183 days, p = 0.012; median duration of stent patency: before PSM, 294 vs. 156 days, p = 0.001; after PSM, 287 vs. 183 days, p = 0.039). All adverse reactions were controllable by temporary symptomatic treatment. Serious complications and treatment-related deaths were not observed. Conclusion Our preliminary study showed that HAIC following SEMS placement with 125 I seed strands is effective and safe for the management of advanced CCA patients presenting with MOJ and could improve stent patency and patient survival.