Efficacy and safety of drug-eluting beads for transarterial chemoembolization in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has more recently become a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Particularly at an advanced stage, the prognosis is generally poor due to lack of effective treatments. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is now a recognized therapy for advanced HCC, serving to deprive tumors of feeder arteries through induced ischemic necrosis. However, there is also a potential for undesired circulatory toxicity owing to drug reflux from tumor artery to surrounding healthy tissues. Although effective chemotherapeutic drug concentrations are thus lowered, the side effects of systemic chemotherapy are aggravated. The mid-2000 emergence of drug-eluting beads (DEB) loaded with anti-neoplastic drugs has proven particularly advantageous, enabling localized treatment and directed delivery of chemotherapeutics. DEB-TACE (dTACE) augments local infusion of anti-neoplastic agents to prolong agent/tumor contact, expanding upon conventional TACE. At present, data on DEB use in China are limited, particularly in terms of proprietary microspheres (CalliSpheres; Hengrui Medicine Co.). To explore the efficacy and safety of CalliSpheres, A total of 90 patients receiving this means of dTACE for advanced HCC were assessed in the present study. Clinical efficacy was evaluated based on tumor response and overall survival rates using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events to assess tolerability. The satisfactory tumor response and acceptable tolerability demonstrated in the follow-up confirm the promising utility of CalliSpheres in treating patients with advanced HCC.