ObjectiveTo investigate the working principles, recent advances, and combined therapeutic efficacy of irreversible electroporation (IRE) in pancreatic cancer treatment when integrated with conventional therapies (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy), and to evaluate its potential for improving patient survival outcomes and quality of life. MethodsA comprehensive analysis of recent IRE researches in pancreatic cancer was performed, elucidating therapeutic mechanisms, technical merits, clinical limitations, and combinatorial effects with conventional therapies through examination of clinical trials and prospective studies. ResultsIRE induces irreversible nanopores in tumor cell membranes via high-intensity electric fields, disrupting membrane integrity and triggering apoptotic cell death. Notably, it promotes immunogenic cell death, activating dendritic cells and initiating tumor-specific immune responses. When combined with surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy, IRE enhances therapeutic efficacy, prolongs survival in locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients, reduces postoperative recurrence rates, and significantly improves quality of life. ConclusionsAs a non-thermal ablation technique, IRE demonstrates unique advantages in localized pancreatic cancer treatment, particularly for surgically ineligible patients, and serves as a potent adjunct to traditional therapies. With technological refinements and accumulating clinical evidence, IRE is poised to play an increasingly pivotal role in future oncology practice.
ObjectiveTo explore the imaging characteristics of lung cancers associated with cystic airspaces (LCCA) and the effects of different treatment regimens. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and radiological data of LCCA patients who underwent surgical resection and pathological confirmation at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from 2016 to 2023. The relationship between various radiological classifications and clinical pathology was studied. Based on the postoperative adjuvant treatment follow-up results, the effects of different treatment regimens were analyzed. ResultsA total of 147 patients were included, including 90 males and 57 females, with a median age of 63 (55, 70) years. There were 21 patients of imaging typeⅠ, 50 patients of typeⅡ, 57 patients of type Ⅲ, and 19 patients of type Ⅳ. The lobulation sign or burr sign of typeⅠcyst walls (P=0.004), and intracystic septa (P=0.030) were more commonly seen in the high-aggressiveness group. The components of the cyst walls or nodules of types Ⅰ-Ⅳ in the high-aggressiveness group were mostly solid or sub-solid (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that subsolid cyst wall (OR=4.734, P=0.023), solid cyst wall (OR=97.972, P<0.001), and the lobulation sign or burr sign of the cyst wall (OR=13.215, P=0.024) were independent risk factors for aggressiveness. Fifty-eight patients received adjuvant therapy after surgery, including 22 in the chemotherapy group, 15 in the targeted therapy group, and 21 in the combined therapy group. The progression-free survival of the combined therapy group was better than the other two groups (P=0.045). ConclusionThere is a correlation between the imaging features of LCCA and pathological aggressiveness. Compared to postoperative targeted therapy or chemotherapy alone, postoperative chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy can improve the progression-free survival of LCCA patients.