Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with epirubicin-loaded superabsorbent polymer microspheres for 135 hepatocellular carcinoma patients: single-center experience.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety, clinical outcomes, and hepatic artery damage after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with epirubicin-loaded superabsorbent polymer microspheres (ELM-TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a single center in Japan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This embolic agent is the original form of microspheres, which has the same composition and nature as HepaSpheres. Between May 2007 and June 2009, 135 patients with unresectable HCC who underwent ELM-TACE were enrolled. Embolization through extrahepatic collaterals was performed in 27 (20.0%) patients. Tumor response was evaluated using European Association for the Study of the Liver criteria at 1 and 6 months after initial ELM-TACE.

RESULTS: All procedures were successfully performed. The median number of TACE per patient was 1.7 sessions (range 1-5), and the mean epirubicin dose per session was 19.7 mg (range 2.0-60.0). Local pooling within target tumors was observed during TACE in 34 (25.2%) patients, and in 14 (10.4%) of the patients, gelatin sponge particles were added after the microspheres until each pooling disappeared. No serious adverse events associated with TACE occurred, and the incidence of postembolization syndrome was ≤17.8%. The 1- and 6-month tumor response rates were 56.3 and 52.6%, respectively. The overall 1- and 2-year survival rates were 73.7 and 59.0%, respectively. Among 99 evaluated patients, 90 (90.9%) were found to have no hepatic artery damage after initial ELM-TACE.

CONCLUSION: ELM-TACE is safe and effective treatment for unresectable HCC and is associated with low frequency of postembolization syndrome and minimal damage to the hepatic artery.