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Chemoembolization with Degradable Starch Microspheres for Treatment of Patients with Primary or Recurrent Unresectable, Locally Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Pilot Study

  • Clinical Investigation
  • Interventional Oncology
  • Published:
CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate efficacy and complication rates of TACE with degradable starch microspheres (DSM-TACE) in patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) with or without prior major liver resection (MLR).

Methods

This is a retrospective single-center study on 21 patients (age 63 ± 15 years) with either unresectable ICC progressive under systemic chemotherapy or unresectable intrahepatic tumor recurrence after prior MLR. Patients were treated by multi-agent (cisplatin/doxorubicin/mitomycin C) DSM-TACE between August 2012 and July 2016, repeated 3 times at 4-week intervals. Imaging response was evaluated using RECIST 1.1. Overall survival (OS) and complication rates, stratified by history of MLR, were investigated.

Results

Patients underwent a total 64 DSM-TACE sessions. Two patients (without MLR) were lost to follow-up after one uneventful DSM-TACE session. One patient underwent living-donor-liver transplantation after one DSM-TACE-session yielding partial remission. Of the remaining 18 patients, imaging response according to RECIST 1.1 was: complete remission in 2/18 (11.1%); PR in 9/18 (50%), and stable disease in 7/18 (38.9%), yielding an objective response rate of 61.1% and a disease control rate of 100%. Median OS of patients with objective response was significantly longer (18.0 months) than that of survival of patients with stable disease (4.8 months) (p = 0.001). Median OS of patients with MLR (12.5 months) was similar to that of patients without MLR (13.2 months). Of 21 patients, 2 (9.5%) developed post-interventional hepatobiliary abscesses, and one of these patients died due to subsequent sepsis.

Conclusion

DSM-TACE is an effective treatment for unresectable and otherwise therapy-refractory intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, even in those patients with intrahepatic disease recurrence after prior MLR.

Level of Evidence

Level II, therapeutic study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

    Fabian Goerg, Markus Zimmermann, Philipp Bruners & Christiane Kuhl

  2. Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Ulf Neumann

  3. Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Tom Luedde

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  1. Fabian Goerg
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Correspondence to Markus Zimmermann.

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Goerg, F., Zimmermann, M., Bruners, P. et al. Chemoembolization with Degradable Starch Microspheres for Treatment of Patients with Primary or Recurrent Unresectable, Locally Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Pilot Study. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 42, 1709–1717 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-019-02344-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-019-02344-0

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