Arterial embolisation or chemoembolisation versus symptomatic treatment in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
This Barcelona trial was the first to show that transarterial chemoembolisation lengthens survival in intermediate-stage liver cancer, with two-year survival of 63 percent against 27 percent with supportive care, making it the standard for this stage.
Overview
Randomised trial of 112 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, Child-Pugh A or B cirrhosis and no vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread, randomised to arterial embolisation, chemoembolisation with doxorubicin, or conservative treatment; stopped early when chemoembolisation showed a survival benefit.
Survival at one and two years was 82 and 63 percent with chemoembolisation, 75 and 50 percent with embolisation, and 63 and 27 percent with conservative treatment (hazard ratio for chemoembolisation 0.47).
- Two-year survival 63 percent (chemoembolisation) vs 27 percent (conservative).
- Hazard ratio for death 0.47 with chemoembolisation.
Transarterial chemoembolisation is the standard treatment for BCLC stage B hepatocellular carcinoma, now being combined with systemic therapy.
- Small trial stopped early; embolisation alone was not significantly better than control.
Similar pages
not linked directly; found by shared links- Key paperEMERALD-1: durvalumab with or without bevacizumab added to transarterial chemoembolisation for embolisation-eligible hepatocellular carcinoma
Shares Intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC B), The Lancet.
- Key paperLEAP-012: transarterial chemoembolisation with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab versus placebo for unresectable non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma
Shares Intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC B), The Lancet.