Hepatic arterial damage after transarterial chemoembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison of drug-eluting bead and conventional chemoembolization in a retrospective controlled study

Background Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently causes feeding artery stenosis or occlusion that may interfere with repeated treatment. Purpose To investigate the incidence and predictors of hepatic arterial damage (HAD) after drug-eluting bead-TACE (DEB-TACE) in comparison with conventional TACE (Conv-TACE). Material and Methods We retrospectively analyzed 54 patients who underwent DEB-TACE for HCC as an initial treatment with follow-up angiography and 54 patients who underwent Conv-TACE using doxorubicin-lipiodol mixture and gelfoam particles for comparison. HAD was evaluated after a single session of TACE and graded as follows: grade I, no significant wall irregularity; grade II, overt stenosis; grade III, occlusion. Results The incidence of HAD was significantly higher in the DEB-TACE group than the Conv-TACE group when analyzed per branch (odds ratio [OR], 6.36; P Conclusion The incidence and grade of HAD were higher after DEB-TACE compared to Conv-TACE with doxorubicin dose as a possible risk factor. HAD was independent of overall survival in both groups.