Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of
doxorubicin-loaded
drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) with CalliSpheres
microspheres (CSM) in treating unresectable
intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods: 88 unresectable ICC patients who received DEB-TACE treatment with CSM were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Information about treatment response, survival and adverse events were collected. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and factors affecting OS were determined by Cox's proportional hazards regression model. Results:
Tumor response of the whole sample of 88 patients was partial response (PR) in 58 (65.9%) patients, stable disease (SD) in 19 (21.6%) and progressive disease (PD) in 11 (12.5%) at one month after
therapy, with no complete responses (CR). The median PFS and OS were 3.0 months and 9.0 months respectively. Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis disclosed that subsequent treatment was an independent favorable prognostic factor, while cholangiectasis, extensive intrahepatic
tumor burden and extrahepatic
metastasis were the three prognostic factors associated with poor survival in ICC patients. Besides, common adverse events included
nausea/
vomiting,
abdominal pain and transient elevation of liver
transaminase in patients treated by DEB-TACE with CSM. Conclusion: DEB-TACE with CSM is safe and well-tolerated for unresectable ICC patients, with a low complication rate and a relative benefit in terms of survival. Subsequent treatments including systemic/loco-regional treatments is an independent favorable prognostic factor, but cholangiectasis, extensive intrahepatic
tumor burden and extrahepatic
metastases are the three prognostic factors associated with poor survival.