Percutaneous Biliary Stent Combined with Brachytherapy Using I Seeds for Treatment of Unresectable Malignant Obstructive Jaundice: A Meta-analysis

Background: Malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ) is a common pathologic manifestation of malignant biliary obstruction. Recently, several clinical trials have explored the clinical effectiveness of intraluminal I seed-based brachytherapy for MOJ patients, and various outcomes have been reported.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of percutaneous biliary stents with I seeds compared to conventional metal stents in patients with unresectable MOJ.

Methods: A systematic search of English-language databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) was performed to identify studies published prior to June 2020 that compared stents with or without I seeds in the treatment of unresectable MOJ. The outcomes analyzed included primary outcomes (stent patency and overall survival) and secondary outcomes (complications and liver function parameters).

Results: Six randomized controlled trials and four retrospective studies involving 875 patients were eligible for the analysis. Of the 875 included patients, 404 were treated with I seed stents, while 471 were treated with conventional stents. Unadjusted pooled analysis demonstrated that compared to conventional stents, I seed stents extended the stent patency time [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28-0.45, < 0.0001] and overall survival period (HR = 0.52, 95%CI = 0.42-0.64, < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses based on the type of I seed stent and type of study design showed consistent results. However, there were no significant differences in the occurrence of total complications [odds ratio (OR) = 1.12, 95%CI = 0.75-1.67, = 0.57], hemobilia (OR = 1.02, 95%CI = 0.45-2.3, = 0.96), pancreatitis (OR = 1.79, 95%CI = 0.42-7.53, = 0.43), cholangitis (OR = 1.13, 95%CI = 0.60-2.13, = 0.71), or pain (OR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.22-2, = 0.47). In addition, there were no reductions in the levels of serum indices, including total bilirubin [mean difference (MD) = 10.96, 95%CI = -3.56-25.49, = 0.14], direct bilirubin (MD = 7.37, 95%CI = -9.76-24.5, = 0.4), alanine aminotransferase (MD = 7.52, 95%CI = -0.71-15.74, = 0.07), and aspartate aminotransferase (MD = -4.77, 95%CI = -19.98-10.44, = 0.54), after treatment. Publication bias was detected regarding the outcome overall survival; however, the conclusions were not changed after the adjustment.

Conclusion: Placement of stents combined with brachytherapy using I seeds contributes to a longer stent patency and higher overall survival than placement of conventional stents without extra complications or severe liver damage. Thus, it can be considered an effective and safe treatment for unresectable MOJ.