Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Jun 2019)

Prospective Phase II trial of drug-eluting bead chemoembolization for liver transplant candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma and marginal hepatic reserve

  • Fidelman N,
  • Johanson C,
  • Kohi MP,
  • Kolli KP,
  • Kohlbrenner RM,
  • Lehrman ED,
  • Taylor AG,
  • Kelley RK,
  • Yao FY,
  • Roberts JP,
  • Kerlan RK

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 6
pp. 93 – 103

Abstract

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Nicholas Fidelman,1 Curt Johanson,1 Maureen P Kohi,1 K Pallav Kolli,1 Ryan M Kohlbrenner,1 Evan D Lehrman,1 Andrew G Taylor,1 R Kate Kelley,2 Francis Y Yao,3 John P Roberts,4 Robert K Kerlan11Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; 2Department of Medicine – Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology; 3Department of Medicine – Division of Hepatology; 4Department of Surgery – Division of Transplant Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USAPurpose: To determine whether chemoembolization using drug-eluting beads (DEB-TACE) is safe and effective for liver transplantation candidates with liver-limited hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without vascular invasion and baseline hepatic dysfunction.Materials and methods: Seventeen adult liver transplantation candidates (median age 66 years, range 58–73 years; 13 men) with HCC were treated with DEB-TACE as a part of Stage 1 of a prospective single-institution Phase II trial. All patients had marginal hepatic reserve based on at least one of the following criteria: ascites (n=14), bilirubin between 3 and 6 mg/dL (n=5), AST 5–10 times upper normal limit (n=1), INR between 1.6 and 2.5 (n=4), portal vein thrombosis (n=2), and/or portosystemic shunt (n=2). Primary study objectives were safety and best observed radiographic response.Results: Thirty-seven DEB-TACE procedures were performed. Objective response rate and disease control rate were 63% and 88%, respectively. HCC progression was observed in 12 patients. Median time to progression was 5.6 months (range 0.9–13.6 months). Within 1 month following DEB-TACE, 13 patients (76%) developed grade 3 or 4 AE attributable to the procedure. Four patients (all within Milan Criteria) were transplanted (2.7–6.9 months after DEB-TACE), and 12 patients died (1.8–32 months after DEB-TACE). All deaths were due to liver failure that was either unrelated to HCC (n=5), in the setting of metastatic HCC (n=5), or in the setting of locally advanced HCC (n=2). Mortality rate at 1 month was 0%.Conclusions: DEB-TACE achieves tumor responses but carries a high risk of hepatotoxicity for liver transplant candidates with HCC and marginal hepatic reserve.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, chemoembolization, liver transplantation

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