Abstract
BACKGROUND: To explore the efficacy of intraoperative radiotherapy combined with drug therapy on serum levels of AFP and CA19-9 for liver and pancreatic tumours to provide more effective treatment strategies for clinical practice. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 190 patients with liver and pancreatic tumours who underwent surgical resection combined with intraoperative radiotherapy in the hospital from March 2023 to September 2024. The patients were segmented into an experimental group (intraoperative radiotherapy combined with drug therapy, n = 95) and a control group (traditional treatment, n = 95) at random. After surgical resection, the experimental group accepted IORT targeted drugs, and immunomodulators. The control group received surgical resection and chemotherapy or external radiation therapy. The leading observation indicators include tumour marker levels, biochemical indicators, recurrence rate, survival rate, quality of life, postoperative complications, pain score, and psychological status. RESULTS: The levels of AFP and CA19-9 in the experimental group decreased by 16.2 ng/mL and 74.7 U/mL, which surpassed those in the control group (P< 0.05). After treatment, the liver function indicators of the experimental group significantly improved (ALT decreased from 32 .1± 12.5 U/L to 22.4± 10.1 U/L, P = 0.00), and renal function also improved. The recurrence and metastasis rates in the experimental group were lower (P< 0.05). Although there was no discrepancy in common adverse reactions, the experimental group had a lower incidence of adverse reactions in radiation dermatitis and infection (P< 0.05). The survival curve demonstrated that the survival rate of the experimental group was higher (P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative radiotherapy combined with drug therapy has shown outstanding efficacy in treating liver and pancreatic tumours, effectively reducing tumour marker levels, improving liver and kidney function, reducing recurrence and metastasis rates, and improving survival rates and life quality while reducing postoperative complications and adverse reactions. This comprehensive treatment plan provides a new, effective strategy for treating liver and pancreatic tumours.