Optimal strategies for combining transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation in rabbit VX2 hepatic tumors.

Purpose: To determine the optimum combination strategy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency (RF) ablation in an experimentally induced hepatic tumor model.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five New Zealand White rabbits with VX2 carcinoma-induced hepatic tumors were randomly divided into five treatment groups, which received (i) chemoembolization followed 15 minutes later by RF ablation; (ii) RF ablation followed by chemoembolization; (iii) chemoembolization alone; (iv) RF ablation alone; and (v) bland embolization followed by RF ablation. Animals were euthanized at 48 hours to determine tumor infarction and coagulation, which were compared with analysis of variance.