Key clinical point: For HCC patients treated with DEB-TACE, size or concentration of microspheres did not affect overall survival, but doxorubicin concentration did impact factors including treatment response and hospital stay.
Major finding: A total of 23 patients achieved complete response (CR), 32 achieved a partial response, 18 had stable disease, and 14 had progressive disease; no difference in treatment response was noted between 75-µm and 100-µm groups, but patients treated with half-loaded doxorubicin had significantly higher CR (53.3% vs 20.8%) and shorter hospital stays (1.7 days vs. 2.2 days) than patients treated with full-loaded doxorubicin.
Study details: The data come from a retrospective study of 87 adults with HCC who underwent drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) with half-loaded or full-loaded doxorubicin in 75-µm or 100-µm microspheres.
Disclosures: The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.
Source: Lin C-Y et al. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 10. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-91021-9.