%0 Journal Article
%T Comparison of Small (70-150 μm) and Intermediate (100-300 μm) Size Drug-Eluting Embolics for Transarterial Chemoembolization of Small Hepatocellular Carcinomas (≤3 cm).
%A Kim MS
%A Oh JS
%A Chun HJ
%A Kim SH
%A Choi BG
%J J Vasc Interv Radiol
%V 0
%N 0
%D 2024 Jul 9
%M 38992836
%F 3.682
%R 10.1016/j.jvir.2024.06.032
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To compare oncologic outcomes of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using 70-150 μm and 100-300 μm drug-eluting beads (DEBs) to treat small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).<BR><B>METHODS: </B>This retrospective study included 93 patients with small HCC (≤3cm) who underwent first TACE with DEB: 43 with 70-150 μm DEBs and 50 with 100-300 μm DEBs. Initial tumor response was assessed using per-patient and per-lesion analysis. Progression-free survival (PFS) and target tumor PFS were analyzed for patients and lesions with initial complete response (CR). Overall survival (OS) and safety outcomes were also evaluated.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>At 1 month, initial CR rates were 72.1% in the 70-150 μm group and 70.0% in the 100-300 μm group. PFS was significantly longer in the 70-150 μm group (median, 26 months) compared with the 100-300 μm group (median, 11 months; log-rank p=0.049), with comparable OS results (p=0.096). Per-lesion analysis found that target tumor PFS was significantly longer in the 70-150 μm group (median, 30 months) compared with the 100-300 μm group (median, 13 months; p=0.009). Subgroup analysis revealed the 70-150 μm group had significantly longer target tumor PFS compared with the 100-300 μm group in the 1.0-2.0 cm subgroup (p=0.017), but not in the 2.1-3.0 cm subgroup (p=0.117). No significant differences in adverse events were observed between the two groups.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>The 70-150 μm and 100-300 μm DEB-TACE resulted in comparable tumor response and short-term safety in small HCCs (≤3cm). However, in cases where CR was achieved, treatment with smaller beads demonstrated longer PFS and target tumor PFS.