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Transvenous pulmonary chemoembolization (TPCE) for palliative or neoadjuvant treatment of lung metastases

  • Interventional
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To retrospectively evaluate tumor response, local tumor control, and patient survival after the treatment of pulmonary metastases using transpulmonary chemoembolization (TPCE) in palliative and neoadjuvant intent.

Materials and methods

One hundred forty-three patients (mean age 56.7 ± 13.4 years) underwent repetitive TPCE (mean number of sessions 5.8 ± 2.9) between June 2005 and April 2017 for the treatment of unresectable lung metastases, not responding to systemic chemotherapy. Patients had predominant lung metastases with bilateral lung involvement in 80.4% of the cases. Regional delivery of the chemotherapeutic agents was performed through selective catheterization of the tumor-supplying pulmonary arteries with subsequent injection of iodized oil and microspheres. Patients, who underwent subsequent ablation (n = 51), either for all lesions (complete) or dominant lesions (incomplete), constituted the neoadjuvant group, and those who underwent TPCE alone represented the palliative treatment intent (n = 92). The response was assessed according to the revised Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST).

Results

Partial response was achieved in 11.9% (n = 17), stable disease in 66.4% (n = 95), and progressive disease in 21.7% (n = 31). The mean survival time and time to progression were 24.5 ± 1.7 and 7.5 ± 0.5 months, respectively. The mean survival time was shorter for the palliative group (19.7 ± 2), compared to the neoadjuvant group (30.1 ± 2.6 months). The use of TPCE alone or with incomplete ablation had a significantly increased hazard of death of 4.6- (p = 0.002) and 3.1-fold (p = 0.027), respectively, in comparison with TPCE with subsequent complete ablation.

Conclusion

TPCE has the potential to improve local tumor control and to prolong survival with a neoadjuvant potential when combined with ablation therapy.

Key Points

• Transpulmonary chemoembolization (TPCE) is a locoregional technique for delivering chemotherapy in higher intratumoral concentrations and with reduced systemic toxicity.

• TPCE can be an alternative treatment for patients with pulmonary metastases who failed prior systemic chemotherapy or with post-operative recurrence.

• The current retrospective study revealed that TPCE is a feasible treatment option for patients with unrespectable lung secondaries in both palliative and neoadjuvant intent and has the potential of improving local control and prolonging survival.

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Abbreviations

Angio-CT:

Computed tomography angiography

CT:

Computed tomography

HR:

Hazard ratio

ILP:

Isolated lung perfusion

MDCT:

Multidetector computed tomography

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PD:

Progressive disease

PR:

Partial response

RECIST:

Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors

SD:

Stable disease

TPCE:

Transpulmonary chemoembolization

TTP:

Mean time to progression

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Funding

The authors state that this work has not received any funding.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Thomas J. Vogl and Ahmed Imam Abdelghany Mekkawy contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Thomas J. Vogl, Ahmed I. A. Mekkawy, Moritz H. Albrecht & Nagy N. N. Naguib

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Asyut, Egypt

    Ahmed I. A. Mekkawy, Mostafa El-Sharkaway & Hosam M. Kamel

  3. Department of Chest Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Asyut, Egypt

    Duaa B. Thabet

  4. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Nagy N. N. Naguib

  5. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Asyut, Egypt

    Afaf Hassan

Authors
  1. Thomas J. Vogl
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  2. Ahmed I. A. Mekkawy
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  3. Duaa B. Thabet
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  4. Mostafa El-Sharkaway
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  5. Hosam M. Kamel
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  6. Moritz H. Albrecht
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  7. Nagy N. N. Naguib
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  8. Afaf Hassan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ahmed I. A. Mekkawy.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Prof. Dr. Thomas J. Vogl, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Statistics and biometry

No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was not required for this study because of its retrospective nature.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Methodology

• Retrospective

• Observational

• Performed at one institution

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Vogl, T.J., Mekkawy, A.I.A., Thabet, D.B. et al. Transvenous pulmonary chemoembolization (TPCE) for palliative or neoadjuvant treatment of lung metastases. Eur Radiol 29, 1939–1949 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5757-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5757-8

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