Liver metastases in rats: chemoembolization combined with interstitial laser ablation for treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) for treatment of liver metastases in an animal model.


METHODS
All experiments were approved by the German government and the institutional animal research review board. After subcapsular liver implantation of colorectal cancer cells in 30 WAG rats (on day 0), the animals were randomly assigned to three interventional treatment groups. In the 10 rats in group A, TACE was performed: Fourteen days after cancer cell implantation and within 20 minutes after laparotomy and retrograde placement of a microcatheter into the gastroduodenal artery, these rats were injected with mitomycin (0.1 mg), iodized oil (0.1 mL), and degradable starch microspheres (5.0 mg). In the 10 rats in group B, LITT was performed: Also on day 14, the tumors in these animals were exposed to Nd:YAG laser light of 1064 nm at 2 W for 5 minutes. In the 10 rats in group C, combined treatment was administered: TACE was performed on day 14, and LITT was performed on day 21. Tumor volumes were measured before (on day 13) and after (on day 28) treatment with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and the mean tumor growth ratio (day 13 tumor volume divided by day 28 tumor volume) was calculated.


RESULTS
The mean tumor volumes measured before and after the treatments were, respectively, 0.11 and 0.60 cm(3) in group A, 0.11 and 0.68 cm(3) in group B, and 0.11 and 0.35 cm(3) in group C. The mean tumor growth ratio was 5.42 in group A, 6.14 in group B, and 3.15 in group C. According to Bonferroni test results, compared with the rats in groups A and B (controls), the group C rats had significantly inhibited tumor growth (P < .01 for both comparisons).


CONCLUSIONS
Use of combined TACE-LITT treatment, compared with the use of TACE or LITT alone, significantly inhibits tumor growth.
Maataoui
Adel
A
Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. adel.maataoui@gmx.de
Qian
Jun
J
Mack
Martin G
MG
Khan
Mohammad F
MF
Oppermann
Elsie
E
Roozru
Mehry
M
Schmidt
Sabine
S
Bechstein
Wolf O
WO
Vogl
Thomas J
TJ
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007459:Iodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D016685:Mitomycin; D007459:Iodized Oil