Transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a widely used standard treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are not suitable candidates for curative treatments. The rationale for TACE is that intra-arterial chemotherapy using lipiodol and chemotherapeutic agents, followed by selective vascular embolization, results in a strong cytotoxic effect as well as ischemia (conventional TACE). Recently, drug-eluting beads (DC Beads®) have been developed for transcatheter treatment of HCC to deliver higher doses of the chemotherapeutic agent and to prolong contact time with the tumor. DC Beads®can actively sequester doxorubicin hydrochloride from solution and release it in a controlled sustained fashion. Treatment with DC Beads®substantially reduced the amount of chemotherapeutic agent that reached the systemic circulation compared with conventional, lipiodol-based regimens, significantly reducing drug-related adverse events. In this article, we describe the treatment response, survival, and safety of TACE used with drug-eluting beads for the treatment of HCC and discuss future therapeutic possibilities.
Hee Chul Nam, Bohyun Jang, Myeong Jun Song, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, South Korea.
Hee Chul
HC
Nam
Hee Chul Nam, Bohyun Jang, Myeong Jun Song, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, South Korea.
Bohyun
B
Jang
Hee Chul Nam, Bohyun Jang, Myeong Jun Song, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, South Korea.
Myeong Jun
MJ
Song
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004317:Doxorubicin
Conventional TACE; Drug-eluting beads; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Transarterial chemoembolization; Treatment response