Transarterial chemoembolization using microspheres appears to show “much better outcomes” than those seen with conventional TACE, both in the setting of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment and when used to treat colorectal cancer patients, Philippe Pereira (Heilbronn, Germany) tells Interventional News at the first European Conference on Embolotherapy (ET; 26–29 June, Valencia, Spain). However, he clarifies that for HCC, the advantages of microspheres over conventional TACE still needs to be demonstrated in a prospective randomised controlled trial.
Pereira says interventional radiologists are demonstrating curative, not only palliative, treatment using microspheres in selected HCC patients with high rates of complete response at one year. On the other hand, they are also observing even better results than some third line treatments in liver-dominant disease in patients with colorectal cancer. These results should be reflected in the “place for TACE” in the European guidelines, he urges, while outlining the goals of the CIRSE-sponsored European registry, CIREL.
