Adjuvant iodine-125 brachytherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients underwent hepatectomy: a randomized controlled trial

In adjuvant iodine-125 brachytherapy group, based on curative resection of liver tumor, the wound was stanched carefully; the wound surface area was measured and the data were entered into the computer to determine the quantity and dose of seed implantation. The 0.8 mm in diameter and 4.5mm in length iodine-125 seeds were enclosed in a NiTinol capsule (China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing). These seeds could produce 27.4-31.5 keV x-ray and 35.5 Kev r-ray, with a half life of 59.6 days. The radioactivity per seed ranged 0.5-0.6 mCi. The seeds that had undergone megatemperature sterilizing were implanted into the normal liver tissue near the cut surface at 1-cm intervals. Biological fibrin glue was applied onto the wound surface, which was then covered with gelatin sponge or hemostatic gauze after saturation and fixation to prevent displacement of the iodine-125 seeds. A median of 25 iodine-125 seeds per patient (range, 18–34seeds) were implanted, with a median total implanted activity of 12.5 mCi (range, 9.0–20.4 mCi).The duration range of the seed implantation process were 5-10 minutes.