Transradial arterial chemoembolization reduces complications and costs in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Transradial Access: A Comprehensive Review

Transradial access (TRA) via the left radial artery is an alternative to traditional transfemoral access for catheter-based procedures that is becoming increasingly more relevant in all types of arterial vascular interventions. First investigated in the realm of cardiology, TRA has been proven to provide many benefits (such as lower complication rates, lower cost, and improved patient comfort during and after the procedure) when compared with traditional femoral access while maintaining efficacy. This article provides an in-depth summary of the technical aspects of radial access while incorporating more recent data to explain patient preference for TRA, and the ways that TRA can improve peri-procedure workflow and compensation. It also describes potential complications, such as radial artery spasm, difficult anatomic variants and radial artery occlusion, and then gives techniques for mitigating and treating these complications. The article explains why TRA has become an important option for vascular and interventional radiology physicians, and why it is likely that this will continue to grow in relevance.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in adult thalassemia patients: an expert opinion based on current evidence

Beta-thalassemia represents a heterogeneous group of haemoglobin inherited disorders, among the most common genetic diseases in the world, frequent in the Mediterranean basin. As beta-thalassemia patients' survival has increased over time, previously unknown complications are observed with increasing frequency. Among them, an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been registered. Our aim is to reduce inequalities in diagnosis and treatment and to offer patients univocal recommendations in any institution.The members of the panel - gastroenterologists, radiologists, surgeons and oncologists -were selected on the basis of their publication records and expertise. Thirteen clinical questions, derived from clinical needs, and an integration of all the committee members' suggestions, were formulated. Modified Delphi approach involving a detailed literature review and the collective judgement of experts, was applied to this work.Thirteen statements were derived from expert opinions' based on the current literature, on recently developed reviews and on technological advancements. Each statement is discussed in a short paragraph reporting the current key evidence. As this is an emerging issue, the number of papers on HCC in beta-thalassemia patients is limited and based on anecdotal cases rather than on randomized controlled studies. Therefore, the panel has discussed, step by step, the possible differences between beta-thalassemia and non beta-thalassemia patients. Despite the paucity of the literature, practical and concise statements were generated.This paper offers a practical guide organized by statements describing how to manage HCC in patients with beta-thalassemia.

Operator learning curve for transradial liver cancer embolization: implications for the initiation of a transradial access program

PURPOSE

We aimed to analyze transradial access (TRA) learning curve on patients undergoing hepatic chemoembolization, investigating the relationship between procedural volumes and various benchmarks of procedural success.

METHODS

We enrolled 60 consecutive patients who received two unilobar hepatic chemoembolizations within a 4-week interval performed by a single interventional radiologist, highly-trained in conventional transfemoral access (TFA) procedures, but without any previous practical experience in TRA procedures and with a preliminary 2-day theoretical training only. Consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled and analyzed in 3 groups: A (cases 1 to 20), B (cases 21 to 40), and C (cases 41 to 60). All patients underwent one hepatic chemoembolization using TRA and the other one using TFA in random order. All TFA procedures performed by the same operator in the same series of patients were considered as the control group. Primary endpoint was to analyze the relationship between TRA procedure operator experience and benchmarks of procedural success, to define the optimal procedural learning curve.

RESULTS

Technical success was obtained in all patients, with a crossover rate (radial to femoral access) of 0%. An association between incremental TRA operator experience (in terms of performed procedures) and decrease of preparation, puncture, fluoroscopy, and total examination times was observed. Similarly, inverse associations between incremental TRA operator experience and contrast medium (CM) volumes (P < 0.001) and radiation dose (RD) values (in terms of RAK - Reference Air Kerma) (P < 0.001) were also observed. Compared with TFA, CM volumes and RD values were significantly higher only in group A (cases 1-20). Procedure success remained high in all TRA groups and no significant association between TRA incremental experience and postprocedural outcomes was found. Higher postprocedural complaints at the access route and more limitations in performing basic activities were recorded after TFA vs. TRA (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

TRA catheterizations can be safely performed in patients treated for liver cancer embolization after a relatively short training in controlled conditions and with a better performance in comparison with TFA. Operator proficiency improves with greater TRA experience, with a threshold needed to overcome the learning curve represented by about 20 procedures.

Transradial access chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma in comparation with transfemoral access

Background

This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of transradial access (TRA) with transfemoral access (TFA) chemoembolization in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

HCC patients who were late for curative treatment on initial diagnosis or HCC patients who had undergone one or several rounds of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) were enrolled. The clinical and angiographic characteristics, the procedure related details, and the follow-up data from patients who underwent TRA and TFA were analyzed and compared.

Results

In total, 112 patients undergoing 160 TRA-TACE and 107 patients undergoing 163 TFA-TACE were included. The technical success rate of TRA was 95.0% and that of TFA was 98.8% (P=0.102). In the TFA-TACE group, 5.5% of cases suffered access site-related complications, including 6 with minor bleeding and 3 with severe bleeding or pseudoaneurysm. In the TRA-TACE group, 1.9% of cases underwent crossover to femoral access for selective cannulation failure. The rate of radial artery occlusion (RAO) was 2.7% (3 of 112 patients), and none of the RAO patients suffered paresthesia, pain at the site of occlusion, hand function loss or distal ischemia. Comparing patients with/without access site-related complications in the TFA-TACE group, there was a statistical difference in patient age and in the percentage of patient with a PT time >15 s (72.6% vs. 57.1%, P<0.001; 44.4% vs. 11.7%, P=0.022).

Conclusions

TRA is a safe and effective method for patients undergoing TACE. Compared with TFA, TRA may reduce the occurrence of access site-related bleeding and vascular complications. TRA-TACE may especially benefit older patients or those with a longer prothrombin time (PT).