Transarterial chemoembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review

Abstract

According to the current European Association for the Study of Liver guidelines, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the recommended first-line therapy for patients with intermediate-stage (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer-B class) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The efficacy of this therapy is supported by robust evidence; however, there is still a lack of standardization in treatment methodology, and TACE protocols are widely variable. Moreover, TACE can be associated with a number of contraindications. Despite these limitations, research on TACE is still ongoing with the aim of optimizing the use of this methodology in the current management of HCC. In particular, TACE represents a control in comparative studies, and it is currently being investigated in combination schemes, for example, with sorafenib. In this review, we briefly describe the current scenario and the clinical innovations regarding TACE for the treatment of HCC.

Postintervention Interleukin-6 (IL-6) Level, Rather than the Pretreatment or Dynamic Changes of IL-6, as an Early Practical Marker of Tumor Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Transarterial Chemoembolization

“…Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an approved first‐line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) . However, the response rates to TACE are heterogeneous, and it is not fully understood which patients will most likely benefit from TACE in terms of tumor response .…”

“…Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an approved first‐line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) . However, the response rates to TACE are heterogeneous, and it is not fully understood which patients will most likely benefit from TACE in terms of tumor response . Therefore, identification of new practical markers is important to discriminate between patients who will benefit from TACE therapy and those requiring more individualized treatments and rigorous monitoring.…”

Time‑series clustering of cytokine expression after transarterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

“…Despite recent advances in treatment methods, such as surgical resection and liver transplantation, curative treatment for advanced tumor stages and patients with metastasis is often not feasible. As a standard therapeutic option for intermediate-stage or non-resectable HCC, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been shown to have benefits (5). According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system, TACE has been identified as an alternative or combination therapy in patients with early or advanced HCC (6).…”

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation assisted by athree-dimensional visualization treatment platform combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for a single large hepatocellular carcinoma 5 cm or larger: a preliminary clinical application

“…Among them, local thermal ablative techniques, including microwave ablation (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), have been confirmed as safe and effective for the treatment of patients with HCC in very early stages, based on the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system [6]. Meanwhile, as another local minimally invasive therapy, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has become one of the most widely used treatment modalities for patients with hypervascular BCLC stage B HCC [7]. All of the aforementioned interventional treatments have distinctive therapeutic characteristics for unresectable HCC, which include high efficiency, minimal invasiveness and relatively short treatment duration [8,9].…”