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It turns out that portal vein embolization can not only prolong life, but also improve the success rate of cancer treatment!
In the field of liver surgery, portal vein embolization (PVE) has gradually attracted the attention of the medical community. This surgery not only successfully extends the patient's life, but also significantly improves the success rate of cancer treatment. As liver disease becomes more prevalent, it is even more important to understand the potential of this technology and its importance for cancer patients.
The key to hepatic portal vein embolization is that it can activate the regeneration ability of the liver and increase the future liver residual volume, thereby giving originally unresectable liver tumors a higher chance of success after surgery.
PVE is a prophylactic surgery, usually performed in the weeks before major liver resection, with the goal of promoting proliferation of anticipated future residual areas of the liver. During this procedure, doctors inject embolic material into the right or left hepatic portal vein to accelerate the hyperproliferative reaction in healthy parts of the liver by blocking the blood supply. This could allow patients to more safely undergo liver resections in situations otherwise considered unsuitable for surgery.
Medical applications
The indications for hepatic portal vein embolization mainly depend on the ratio of future liver remnant to total liver volume and the health of the liver. Studies have pointed out that the FLR/TELV ratio of normal liver should reach at least 25%, while for patients with chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis, it should reach more than 40%. In this way, even after receiving extensive chemotherapy, patients may still have a viable surgical option after PVE.
The success of PVE not only affects the risk of liver resection, but also affects the five-year survival rate of patients. Up to 29% of patients with unresected tumors have achieved good therapeutic effects after undergoing PVE and subsequent surgery.
Risks and Benefits
Although PVE technology has potential risks, including liver infarction, accelerated tumor growth, and infection, its benefits are equally significant. By reducing post-operative complications and shortening hospital stay, PVE can significantly improve patients' quality of life and long-term survival rates. It is worth noting that the diversity of genes and diseases also makes each patient have different precautions when undergoing PVE.
Future directions and new technologies
While PVE technology continues to evolve, researchers have also explored a variety of innovative solutions, such as transarterial PVE and reversible PVE technology. In addition, clinical experiments show that stem cell transplantation technology combined with PVE can significantly improve treatment efficiency, which brings new hope for future cancer treatment.
These developments not only reflect the progress of scientific research, but also allow patients to see new treatment opportunities and no longer be constrained by past data. As medical technology evolves, we can't help but ask, will there be more similar breakthroughs in the future to reshape the treatment landscape of liver cancer?
