Balloon-occluded chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study of safety, feasibility and outcomes

Ana-Maria Bucalau; Illario Tancredi; Martina Pezzullo; Raphael Leveque; Simona Picchia; Jean-Luc Van Laethem; Gontran Verset

doi:10.2217/hep-2020-0022

Balloon-occluded chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study of safety, feasibility and outcomes

Hepat Oncol. 2020 Oct 13;8(1):HEP31. doi: 10.2217/hep-2020-0022.

Authors

Ana-Maria Bucalau¹, Illario Tancredi², Martina Pezzullo³, Raphael Leveque², Simona Picchia⁴, Jean-Luc Van Laethem¹, Gontran Verset¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology & Digestive Oncology, Hôpital ERASME, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
² Department of Interventional Radiology, Hôpital ERASME, Brussels, Belgium.
³ Department of Radiology, Hôpital ERASME, Brussels, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Bordet Institute, Brussels, Belgium.

Abstract

Aim: Evaluation of safety and efficacy of selective balloon-occluded transarterial chemoembolization using polyethylene glycol embolizing microspheres in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Materials & methods: Twenty-four consecutive patients were included in this monocentric prospective trial. Adverse events were evaluated at 24 h and 1 month. Imaging response according to modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors was assessed at 1, 3 and 6 months.

Results: The median time of follow-up was of 22.8 months (interquartile range (IQR) 17.38-26.22). Clinical grade 1/2 toxicities (0% >grade 2) were reported in 25.7% of patients, with abdominal pain being the most frequent complication (17.1%). No 30-days mortalities or liver decompensation were observed. The 1-month follow-up MRI showed an overall response rate of 74.3%.

Conclusion: Balloon-occluded transarterial chemoembolization was shown to be safe and effective.

Keywords: balloon-occluded transarterial chemoembolization using drug-eluting microspheres; hepatocellular carcinoma; polyethylene glycol embolizing microspheres; transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.