Initial experience of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization with CalliSpheres(®) microspheres in treating liver metastases patients

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the treatment efficacy, survival, safety profiles and factors affecting the clinical outcomes of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) in liver metastases patients. METHODS: A total of 39 liver metastases patients underwent DEB-TACE treatment with the novel CalliSpheres(®) microspheres were retrospectively enrolled. Patients’ demographic information, tumor characteristics, history of treatment, laboratory indexes, and treatment procedures were recorded, meanwhile, patients’ treatment response survival and adverse events were also evaluated. RESULTS: The rate of complete response, partial response, stable disease and progressive disease of total treated cycles were 1.6%, 34.4%, 54.7% and 9.4%, respectively, and 5.0%, 26.7%, 57.8% and 10.6% of total treated nodules, respectively. Regarding survival, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 15.3 months (95% CI: 9.7–20.8 months) and the median overall survival was 28.7 months (95% CI: 20.3–37.0 months). Cox’s proportional hazard model regression analyses disclosed that previous liver resection was correlated with worse PFS, while combined targeted therapy and disease control rate after the first DEB-TACE were correlated with longer PFS. For safety profiles, biochemical indexes showed that patients’ liver function was deteriorated at 1 week after DEB-TACE, but was mainly recovered at 1 month after DEB-TACE. CONCLUSIONS: DEB-TACE is an efficient and safe treatment choice for liver metastases, moreover, strict screening of indications for resection and combined therapy with targeted therapy might improve the efficacy of DEB-TACE.