Efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization with 70- to 150-μm drug-eluting beads alone or in combination with 100- to 300-μm drug-eluting beads

Abstract

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent TACE utilizing up to one vial of LC BeadM1 (70–150 μm) embolics with doxorubicin was performed. If tumor devascularization was not achieved, up to one additional vial of LC Bead (100–300 μm) embolics with doxorubicin was subsequently administered. Ninety-four sessions of TACE were completed among 48 patients. After a mean follow-up of 182 days, complete response was achieved in 10 patients (21%), partial response in 19 (40%), stable disease in 8 (17%), and progressive disease in 10 (21%). Disease control was achieved in 79% of patients: 90% of patients treated with 70- to 150-μm embolics alone vs. 70% of patients treated with both sizes of embolics (P = 0.47). Pathologic examination revealed complete necrosis in 5 of 10 tumors in eight transplants. Overall survival at 3, 12, and 24 months was 100%, 94%, and 94%, respectively. The median progression-free survival was 282 days. In conclusion, drug-eluting bead TACE with 70- to 150-μm embolics alone or in combination with 100- to 300-μm embolics is safe and demonstrates good disease control, particularly with small, solitary tumors.