ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical short-term efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) by using CalliSpheres drug-eluting beads combined with blank microspheres (8 Spheres) in treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) . Methods The clinical data of 98 HCC patients, who were treated at authors′ hospital during the period from July 2016 to November 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into DEB-TACE group (receiving TACE by using CalliSpheres drug-eluting beads combined with 8 Spheres embolic microspheres, n =50) and cTACE group (receiving TACE by using opium poppy ethyl iodized oil together with 8 Spheres embolic microspheres, n =48) . The disease remission rate, control rate and incidence of complications as well as preoperative and 3-day postoperative hepatic function indexes were collected, and the results were compared between the two groups. Results No statistically significant differences in baseline data existed between the two groups (P>0.05) . Both the 3-month and the 6-month disease remission rates in DEB-TACE group were remarkably higher than those in cTACE group (P<0.05), besides, the 6-month disease progression rate and the incidence of elevated serum AFP in DEB-TACE group were lower than those in cTACE group, the short-term efficacy of DEB-TACE group was better than that of cTACE group (P<0.05) . Three days after treatment, the levels of ALT and AST in cTACE group were strikingly higher than those in DEB-TACE group (P<0.05) . No serious adverse reactions occurred in both groups. Conclusion In treating advanced HCC with TACE, the short-term efficacy and safety of CalliSpheres drug-eluting beads combined with 8 Spheres embolic microspheres are superior to those of opium poppy ethyl iodized oil together with 8 Spheres embolic microspheres.