Transarterial chemoembolization with medium-sized doxorubicin-eluting Callisphere is safe and effective for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 4434
• Main Authors: Wang, Cao-Ye, Xia, Jin-Guo, Yang, Zheng-Qiang, Zhou, Wei-Zhong, Chen, Wen-Hua, Qi, Chun-Jian, Gu, Jian-Ping, Wang, Qi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 10.03.2020; Nature Publishing Group UK
• Subjects: Chemoembolization; Doxorubicin; Hepatitis; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Ischemia; Liver cancer; Oncology; Solid tumors
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61209-6

The study aimed to compare the tumor response to and complications of doxorubicin-eluting CalliSphere bead-transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) using small- and medium-sized beads in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent multiple rounds of oncology therapies. Sixty patients with intermediate stage HCC who had previously received multiple oncology therapies underwent DEB-TACE with CalliSpheres of 100-300 μm (small bead group, n = 34) or 300-500 μm (medium bead group, n = 26) in diameter between October 2016 and December 2018. Adverse events and the response rate of the index tumor based on the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors at 3 months post-TACE were compared between the groups. The rates of complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease were 35.4%, 29.4%, 17.6%, and 17.6%, respectively, for the small bead group and 33.1%, 23.1%, 20.8%, and 23.0%, respectively, for the medium bead group, showing no significant between-group differences (P > 0.05). Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 grade 3/4 adverse events were reported in 8 patients in the small bead group and in no patients in the medium bead group, showing a significant group difference (P < 0.01). Major complications included 8 events of ischemic hepatitis, 2 of biloma, and 2 of severe liver abscess. DEB-TACE using CalliSpheres of 300-500 μm was associated with a comparable rate of tumor response but lower rate of complications compared with that using CalliSpheres of 100-300 μm for HCC treatment in patients who had already undergone multiple rounds of oncology therapies.