Effects of Short-Term Lenvatinib Administration Prior to Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Simple Summary: Recently, favorable outcomes have been reported for hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with lenvatinib (LEN-TACE). However, the optimal treatment protocol remains unclear. In this study, we performed a 4-day lenvatinib administration followed by TACE without an interval (short-term LEN-TACE). The objective was to assess changes in tumor hemodynamics following the 4-day lenvatinib administration and to evaluate the outcomes of this combined therapy. A significant decrease in intra-tumor flow after lenvatinib was observed, with a 100% technical success rate and no severe adverse events. Complete response rates (CR) at 1 month were 75%, and the 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 75.0%. The lipiodol-washout ratio between 1 week and 4 months after cTACE correlated with the arterial flow reduction radio by lenvatinib prior to TACE (r = −0.55). The short-term LEN-TACE is feasible and safe, demonstrating promising results, including a high CR rate and prolonged PFS. Aim: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with lenvatinib, employing a 4-day lenvatinib administration followed by TACE without an interval (short-term LEN-TACE), was performed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim was to assess tumor hemodynamics following the 4-day lenvatinib and to evaluate the treatment outcomes after the short-term LEN-TACE. Methods: 25 unresectable HCC patients received this combined therapy. Lenvatinib (4–12 mg) was administrated for 4 days prior to TACE. Perfusion CT scans were obtained before and after the lenvatinib administration. Either cTACE (76%) or DEB-TACE (24%) were performed. Results: intra-tumor blood flow significantly decreased after the 4-day lenvatinib (p < 0.05). The TACE procedure was successful with no severe adverse events in all patients. The overall complete response (CR) rate was 75% (cTACE 84%, DEB-TACE 40%). The lipiodol-washout ratio between 1 week and 4 months after cTACE correlated with the arterial flow reduction ratio by lenvatinib prior to TACE (r = −0.55). The 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 75.0%. Conclusions: The short-term LEN-TACE is feasible and safe, demonstrating promising outcomes with a high CR ratio, contributing to lipiodol retention in the tumor after cTACE, and extended PFS. To confirm the advantages of this treatment protocol, a prospective clinical trial is mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]