Efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization treatment with 30–60-μm microspheres in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Chemoembolization with small drug-eluting microspheres is widely used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization with doxorubicin-eluting 30–60-µm microspheres (DEB-TACE) in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A and B HCC. Materials and methods In this single-center study, 88 patients with HCC (BCLC A/B: 15.9%/84.1%) who underwent 137 DEB-TACE sessions between January 2015 and December 2020 were retrospectively assessed. Response to treatment was assessed 4–8 weeks after each DEB-TACE procedure according to mRECIST (Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) criteria. Progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and adverse events were recorded. Results In 88 patients (84.1% males; median age, 66.0 years; range, 22–83), the median follow-up was 17 months (range, 2–64). Eight patients (9.1%) had a complete response, 42 (47.8%) had partial regression, 10 (11.3%) had stable disease, and 28 (31.8%) had progressive disease. There was a statistically significant difference between serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels before and after DEB-TACE treatment ( p