Comparison of the Efficacy of Two Microsphere Embolic Agents for Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Recent advances and applications of microspheres and nanoparticles in transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a recommended treatment for patients suffering from intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As compared to the conventional TACE, drug-eluting bead TACE demonstrates several advantages in terms of survival, treatment response, and adverse effects. The selection of embolic agents is critical to the success of TACE. Many studies have been performed on the modification of the structure, size, homogeneity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability of embolic agents. Continuing efforts are focused on efficient loading of versatile chemotherapeutics, controlled sizes for sufficient occlusion, real-time detection intra- and post-procedure, and multimodality imaging-guided precise treatment. Here, we summarize recent advances and applications of microspheres and nanoparticles in TACE for HCC. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Efficacy and safety of raltitrexed-based transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter real-world study

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate efficacy and safety of raltitrexed-based transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using real-world evidence.

METHODS

All eligible HCC cases were collected from multiple centers in Chongqing, China, from January 2013 to December 2018 and divided into the raltitrexed group (raltitrexed + lobaplatin + pirarubicin) and control group (lobaplatin + pirarubicin). Propensity score matching (PSM) with a 1:1 ratio was used to eliminate the imbalance of potential confounding factors between groups. The primary end-point was overall survival (OS) and the secondary end-points were progression-free survival (PFS) and disease control rate.

RESULTS

The median follow-up period for patients in the raltitrexed and control groups was 8.7 and 5.9 months, respectively. After PSM, median OS was 10.0 months in the raltitrexed group and 7.0 months in the control group (p = 0.002). The 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year OS rates of the raltitrexed group were significantly higher than those of the control group (78.2% vs. 60.9%, p = 0.010; 43.5% vs. 22.8%, p = 0.030; and 17.4% vs. 2.2% p = 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis of these propensity score-matched HCC patients revealed treatment, age, tumor size, lipiodol accumulation, and the number of TACE cycles as independent predictors of OS (all p < 0.05). The disease control rate of the raltitrexed and control groups was 87.4% and 65.8%, respectively (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Raltitrexed-based TACE can prolong the OS of patients with intermediate and advanced HCC in a real-world clinical setting, and is safe and tolerable.

Fabrication of Fe3O4@PVA microspheres by one-step electrospray for magnetic resonance imaging during transcatheter arterial embolization

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has attracted increasing attention as a feasible alternative or adjunctive imaging modality for X-ray digital subtraction angiography because of the high tissue resolution and non-ionization radiation. In this study, a one-step electrospray method was developed to fabricate PVA microspheres encapsulated with in situ synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Fe₃O₄@PVA microspheres were mono-dispersed black spheres with a wide range of sizes (262-958 µm). The in situ-synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were used as the contrast agent of MRI and the cross-linkers of PVA matrixes for the embolization purpose. In vivo evaluation of renal arteries of normal rabbits showed that Fe₃O₄@PVA microspheres had good embolic effect and enhanced capability of MRI. In vitro and in vivo biosafety assessment confirmed that Fe₃O₄@PVA microspheres had favorable biocompatibility. The DOX-loaded Fe₃O₄@PVA microspheres showed a typical drug-sustained release profile. These results suggest that the prepared DOX-loaded Fe₃O₄@PVA microspheres have the function of MRI, embolotherapy and chemotherapy. We expect our study could provide a simple and useful approach for the systematic design, fabrication, and application of a new type of magnetic microspheres as a triple-functional embolic agent for the development of MRI-guided TACE. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Due to the low tissue resolution and hazardous ionization radiation of X-ray digital subtraction angiography, it is beneficial to study MR imaging embolic microspheres for the development of MRI-guided TACE. In this study, a one-step electrospray method was firstly developed to fabricate PVA microspheres encapsulated with in situ synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Then, chemotherapeutic agent (DOX), contrast media of MRI (Fe₃O₄) and embolic agent (PVA matrix) were combined together in one body (DOX-loaded Fe₃O₄@PVA microspheres) to achieve the triple effects of chemotherapy, MR imaging and embolization. This triple-functional embolic agent offers potential for the future development of MRI-guided TACE.

Therapy of Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Evidence and Clinical Practice

Intermediate-stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) represents a wide range of disease burden. Patients with different levels of liver function, tumor size, and number of lesions may all have intermediate-stage disease according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system. Several minimally invasive image-guided locoregional therapies are available for the treatment of intermediate-stage HCC, including conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), drug-eluting bead TACE (DEB-TACE), yttrium-90 radioembolization (Y-90 RE), thermal ablation, bland embolization, and combination therapy. Available clinical evidence points to cTACE as the current gold standard for the locoregional treatment of intermediate-stage HCC. DEB-TACE is at best non-inferior to cTACE in terms of survival benefit. Y-90 RE is a maturing therapy, and some institutions have adopted it as first-line therapy for intermediate-stage HCC. Thermal ablation combined with TACE may be used in select patients, while bland embolization has only limited evidence for its use. The combination of locoregional therapy with VEGF inhibitors or immune checkpoint inhibitors has also been explored. This article will examine in detail the clinical evidence supporting available locoregional treatment options for intermediate-stage HCC.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation for treatment of early liver cancer: Efficacy and prognostic factors for progression-free survival

BACKGROUND

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and microwave ablation (MWA) are the main methods for the treatment of liver cancer worldwide. TACE can block the blood vessels of liver cancer and clearly show the area where the tumor is located. The solid tumor can be completely ablated by MWA. However, postoperative recurrence is still a difficult problem to solve.

AIM

To assess the efficacy of TACE combined with MWA in the treatment of liver cancer at early Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage and identify the factors affecting recurrence.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on 42 patients with post-hepatitis B virus (HBV) liver cancer at early BCLC stage who underwent TACE combined with MWA at our hospital from February 2016 to November 2017. After surgery, the efficacy was evaluated and complications were recorded. The patients were followed at 1 mo, 2 mo, 3, mo 6 mo, 12 mo, and 18 mo after WMA for CT, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), liver function, or hepatic angiography, and the time to recurrence was recorded.

RESULTS

By the last follow-up, the total effective rate was 61.5% and the lesion control rate was 84.2%. The median progression-free-survival (PFS) was 7.3 mo (range, 2.3-34). Univariate analysis showed that female patients had a PFS of 14 mo and male patients had a PFS of 11 mo. Patients ≥ 60 years of age had a PFS of 3.8 mo, and patients < 60 years of age had a PFS of 8.9 mo. The PFS of patients with tumor < 3 cm, 3 to 5 cm, and 5-10 cm was 14, 10.5, and 11.2 mo, respectively. The PFS of patients with single tumor and multiple tumors was 13.6 and 4 mo, respectively. The PFS of patients with Child A and Child B disease was 20.8 mo vs 11.2 mo. The PFS of BCLC stage 0 patients and BCLC stage A patients was 15.5 mo vs 11.2 mo. HBV-DNA positive patients had a PFS of 11.2 mo, and HBV-DNA negative patients had a PFS of 13.3 mo. The median PFS of HBeAg-positive cases was 11.2 mo, and that of HBeAg-negative cases was 13.3 mo. Univariate analysis showed that gender, age, Child grade, number of tumors, and BCLC stage were significantly correlated with PFS, but tumor size, preoperative HBV-DNA, and HBeAg status did not. In multivariate analysis, Child grade, BCLC stage, and gender were identified to be independent risk factors for PFS in early BCLC stage liver cancer patients undergoing sequential treatment of TACE and MWA (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

TACE combined with MWA is safe and effective in the treatment of early BCLC stage liver cancer. Child grade, BCLC stage, and gender may affect postoperative recurrence.