Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) combined with CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation(PRFA) in treating advanced primary hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods 40 cases with advanced primary hepatocellular carcinoma were randomly divided into TECA group(n=20) and TACE and PRFA group(n=20).Results The complete necrosis rate of tumor,the recurrence rate and one-year survival rate were 22.5%(9/40),37.5%(15/40) and 75.0%(30/40),respectively in TACE group and 90.0%(36/40),12.5%(5/40) and 90.0%(36/40),respectively in TACE and PRFA group.There were significant statistical differences between the two groups(P value were 0.002,0.002 and 0.008,respectively).Conclusion The therapeutic effects of TACE combined with CT-guided PRFA show better results than that of TACE alone.

Cancer is a major global health issue. Effective therapeutic strategies can prolong patients’ survival and reduce the costs of treatment. Drug repurposing, which identifies new therapeutic uses for approved drugs, is a promising approach with the advantages of reducing research costs, shortening development time, and increasing efficiency and safety. Disulfiram (DSF), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug used to treat chronic alcoholism, has a great potential as an anticancer drug by targeting diverse human malignancies. Several studies show the antitumor effects of DSF, particularly the combination of DSF and copper (DSF/Cu), on a wide range of cancers such as glioblastoma (GBM), breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and melanoma. In this review, we summarize the antitumor mechanisms of DSF/Cu, including induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and various cell death signaling pathways, and inhibition of proteasome activity, as well as inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. Furthermore, we highlight the ability of DSF/Cu to target cancer stem cells (CSCs), which provides a new approach to prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis. Strikingly, DSF/Cu inhibits several molecular targets associated with drug resistance, and therefore it is becoming a novel option to increase the sensitivity of chemo-resistant and radio-resistant patients. Studies of DSF/Cu may shed light on its improved application to clinical tumor treatment.