Table 3.
Outcomes of studies of transarterial embolization (TAE) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumours (NETs)
| Study | Patients, n | Device used | Toxicity | Radiological response (RECIST 1.0) | Survival times and rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dong & Carr7 | 123 | TACE | Abdominal pain (44%), diarrhoea (30%), weight loss (22%) | 62% | Mean: 3.3 years 3-, 5- and 10-year survival: 59%, 36% and 20%, respectively |
| de Baere et al.6 | 20 | TACE with doxorubicin eluting beads | Nausea (61%), fever (36%) | 80% | Not reported |
| Vogl et al.16 | 48 | TACE with mitomycin C | Nausea and vomiting (27.8%), abdominal pain (11.1%) | 11.1% | Median: 38.7 months 5 years: 11.11% |
| TACE with mitomycin C + gemcitabine | Nausea and vomiting (16.7%), abdominal pain (10%) | 23.3% | Median: 57.1 months 5 years: 46.67% | ||
| Loewe et al.11 | 23 | Bland embolization | Not reported | 73% | Median: 69 months 1- and 5-year survival: 95.7% and 65.4%, respectively |
| Eriksson et al.8 | 41 | Bland embolization | Post-embolization syndrome (all), nausea (33%), fever (n = 7), median hospitalization: 12 days | 50% | Median: 80 months 5 years: 60% |
| Pitt et al.13 | 100 | Bland (n = 51) versus TACE (n = 49) | Bland: 7/51, (3 liver abscesses, 1 groin hematoma, 2 ileus, 1 hypotension) TACE: none | N/A | Median from diagnosis: TACE, 50.1 months; bland, 39.1 months 1-, 2- and 5-year survival: TACE, 69%, 52%, 19%, respectively; bland, 19%, 70%, 13%, respectively |
| Ruutiainen et al.15 | 67 | Bland (n = 23) versus TACE (n = 44) | Grade 3 or worse toxicity in 25% of TACE and 22% of bland patients TACE (≥Grade 3): pain (3); nausea (1); GET/ALP (4); AST (1), and infection (1) Bland (≥Grade 3): GET/ALP (3); AST (1), and cardiac (1) | TACE: 22% Bland: 38% | 1-, 3- and 5-year survival: TACE, 86%, 67%, 50%, respectively; bland, 68%, 46%, 33%, respectively |
| Gupta et al.10 | 49 | TACE (n = 27) versus bland (n = 42) | Serious adverse events in 19 patients (8.5%), hepatorenal syndrome (7), sepsis (6), transient myelosuppression (1), anasarca (1), cortical blindness (1), necrotizing cholecystitis (1), hepatic abscess (2) Overall complications: TACE, 20%; bland, 12% | TACE: 50%Bland: 25% | Median survival for carcinoid tumours: TACE, 33.8 months; bland, 33.2 months; islet tumours: TACE, 31.5 months; bland, 18.2 months |
| Maire et al.12 | 26 | TACE (n = 12) versus bland (n = 14) | TACE: post-embolization syndrome (10), carcinoid crisis (2), acute liver failure (1), neutropoenia (2) Bland: post-embolization syndrome (10), carcinoid crisis (0), acute liver failure (2), neutropoenia (0) | TACE: 100% Bland: 92% | 2-year survival: TACE, 80%; bland, 100% Median PFS: TACE, 19.2 months; bland, 23.6 months |
| Guiu et al.9 | 120 NET 88 HCC | DEB-TACE in HCC (with cirrhosis) and NETs (without cirrhosis) | Liver biliary injury occurred in 64/208 patients. Occurrence associated with DEB-TACE, P < 0.001 irrespective of tumour type | N/A | N/A |
| Ruzniewski et al.14 | 23 | TACE | Bleeding peptic ulcer (1), oligoanuric renal failure (1), abdominal pain (50%), fever (6), nausea and vomiting (5) | PR, SD, PD, TTP 61, 22, 17, 14 | 8/23 died at a median of 12.5 months after final TACE |
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; DEB, drug-eluting beads; GGT, γ-glutamyl transferase; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; PD, progressive disease; PFS, progression-free survival; PR, partial response; SD, stable disease; TTP, time to progression.