Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) alone and in combination with microwave ablation (MWA) for patients with middle- or advanced-stage primary liver cancer (PLC) and analyse the causes of complications. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with middle or advancedstage PLC were divided into two groups: the TACE group (TACEG, n = 50), which received TACE alone, and the combination group (CG, n = 50), which underwent TACE combined with MWA. Clinical parameters were evaluated before and after treatment, including the quality of life (QoL) assessed by the SF-36 score, serum liver function indices, treatment response, 1-year overall survival (OS) rate, and complication rates. RESULTS: Compared to the TACEG, the CG demonstrated significantly higher SF-36 scores, objective response rate (ORR) (32% vs 50%), disease control rate (Dc R) (82% vs 90%), and 1-year OS (60% vs 84%), while exhibiting a lower 1-year complication rate (34% vs 16%). Additionally, post-treatment levels of cholyglycine (CG) and prealbumin (PAB) were significantly higher in the CG, whereas total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were significantly lower (all P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TACE combined with MWA is an effective and safe treatment for middle or advanced PLC, significantly improving liver function and postoperative survival rates.