Abstract
Background
Unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (ICC) carries a poor prognosis, and there are few chemotherapeutic treatments to prolong survival. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of drug-eluting bead (DEB) therapy by transarterial infusion for unresectable ICC.
Methods
A prospective multicenter study of ICC patients who received hepatic arterial DEB therapy.
Results
Twenty-four patients with unresectable ICC were treated with DEB. Ten patients (41.6%) had recurrent ICC after prior radiofrequency ablation (n = 3) or hepatectomy (n = 7). Twenty patients (80%) had received prior chemotherapy, mostly of gemcitabine (n = 8) or Eloxatin (n = 6). The percent of overall liver involvement was < 25% (n = 8), 26% to 50% (n = 11), and > 50% (n = 4). Ten patients (40%) had sites of extrahepatic disease located at lymph nodes (n = 5), bone (n = 2), peritoneum (n = 1), lung (n = 1), and mouth (n = 1). A total of 42 DEB treatments were administered. Eight were administered in combination with systemic chemotherapy of FOLFOX (n = 4) or Gemzar (n = 4). Twelve patients (48%) received a second treatment, and 4 patients (16%) received a third treatment. The median length of stay was 23 h (23–72 h). Eleven adverse reactions (26.2%) were reported. Of these, 7 (63.6%) were minor (less than grade 3). One patient died from hepatorenal syndrome. The disease of one patient was downstaged to resection. After a median follow-up of 13.6 months, the median overall survival of a multitherapeutic regimen with DEB therapy was significantly greater than chemotherapy alone (17.5 vs. 7.4 months; P = 0.02).
Conclusions
Bead therapy is safe and effective in patients with unresectable ICC. There is a marked survival benefit when DEB therapy is used as adjunctive therapy.
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Schiffman, S.C., Metzger, T., Dubel, G. et al. Precision Hepatic Arterial Irinotecan Therapy in the Treatment of Unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocellular Carcinoma: Optimal Tolerance and Prolonged Overall Survival. Ann Surg Oncol 18, 431–438 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-010-1333-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-010-1333-4