Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to observe the efficacy of sequential drug-eluting beads-transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of patients with primary liver cancer (PLC). Methods 72 patients with PLC were admitted to our hospital between November 2017 and November 2020, and among them, the DEB-TACE were done in 38 cases as the control, and the sequential DEB-TACE and RFA were carried out in other 34 cases as the observation group. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) and CA199 levels were detected by electrochemiluminescence. The post-operational efficacy was evaluated by imaging. Results At the end of three month after operation, the Objective remission rate in the observation and control group were 79.4% and 55.3%, significantly different (P<0.05); serum AFP, HSP90α and CA125 levels in the observation group were (123.6±32.5)μg/L, (97.6±21.6)ng/mL and (30.2±13.2)U/mL, all significantly lower than [(264.5±34.6)μg/L, (129.1±22.3)ng/mL and (71.6±14.3)U/mL, respectively, P<0.05] in the control group; the mean overall survival (OS) in the observation group was 28 months, with one-year and two-year survival of 88.2% and 67.6%, while the OS in the control was 20 months, with the one-year and two-year survival of71.1% and 42.1%, significantly different between the two groups (Log Rank x²=4.258, P=0.039). Conclusion The sequential DEB-TACE and RFA in the treatment of patients with PLC has a definite clinical efficacy, which might prolong the survival of patients.

Key words: Hepatoma, Drug-eluting beads, Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, Radiofrequency ablation, Therapy, Overall survival