Efficacy and safety analysis in the treatment of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with small diameter drug-eluting beads

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) with small diameter drug-eluting beads (DEBs) in the treatment of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).
Method: This article retrospectively collected clinical data of 20 patients with unresectable ICC who received small diameter DEB-TACE treatment Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital from March 2018 to December 2023. The efficacy and safety of the treatment were analyzed by evaluating indicators such as tumor response, progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), incidence of adverse events, and compared the results with other literatures on conventional diameter DEB-TACE and systemic chemotherapy.
Result: The 3-month objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of 20 patients with unresectable ICC after DEB-TACE were 60.0% and 95.0%, respectively. The 6-month ORR and DCR were 30.0% and 75.0%, respectively. And the 9-month ORR and DCR were 10.0% and 45.0%, respectively. The median OS and median PFS were 16.4 months and 8.3 months, respectively. The common adverse events after DEB-TACE include bilirubin elevation,abdominal pain,nausea and vomiting, and aminotransferase elevation, all of which are grade 1 or 2, and there is no grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred.
Conclusion: DEB-TACE with small diameter DEBs is a safe and effective local treatment for unresectable ICC patients. Compared with conventional diameter DEB-TACE and systemic chemotherapy, it has similar disease control rates ,longer survival , and lower incidence of adverse events.

Key words: Drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, Small diameter drug-eluting beads, Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Xuan Zhiming, Yao Xuesong, Song Peng, Li Shupei, Lai Fengyong, Feng Yexia. Efficacy and safety analysis in the treatment of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with small diameter drug-eluting beads[J]. Electronic Journal of Liver Tumor, 2025, 12(4): 8-13.

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