The safety and efficacy of oxaliplatin-loaded drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization for the treatment of unresectable or advanced lung cancer

Aim: Drug-eluting beads are usually applied for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Oxaliplatin was suggested as first-line therapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. However, there has been little investigation about the application of drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) with oxaliplatin-loaded CalliSpheres beads (CB) for the treatment of unresectable or advanced lung cancer. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of oxaliplatin-loaded DEB-TACE for the treatment of unresectable or advanced lung cancer. Methods: From January 2019 to December 2021, all patients with primary unresectable or advanced lung cancer who underwent DEB-TACE with oxaliplatin-loaded CB were retrospectively enrolled. This study defined overall survival and objective response rate (ORR) as the primary endpoints, disease control rate (DCR) and progression-free survival (PFS) as the secondary endpoints. Results: A total of 33 sessions of DEB-TACE were performed in 20 patients, with a mean of 1.7 ± 1.0 sessions. A total of 55 arteries were emoblized by CB, including 40 bronchial arteries, 13 intercostal arteries, one suprarenal artery and one inferior phrenical artery. No procedural-related mortality or severe complications were observed. The median tumor diameter was 49.0 [Interquartile range (IQR) 37.8-66.8] mm before DEB-TACE, and decreased to 38.8 (IQR 27.7-56.9), 26.1 (IQR 19.1-48.8), and 20.5 (IQR 13.1-49.7) mm at 1, 3 and 6 months later (p = 0.04). The ORR and DCR at 1, 3, and 6 months after DEB-TACE were 28.6% and 92.9%, 38.5% and 84.6%, 30.8% and 61.5%, respectively. The median PFS and median overall survival was 9.9 and 29.6 months, respectively. Conclusion: DEB-TACE with oxaliplatin-loaded CB is suggested as a safe, effective and well-tolerated treatment for patients with unresectable or advanced lung cancer.

Apatinib-loaded CalliSpheres Beads for embolization in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor: characterization in vitro, pharmacokinetics and tumor response in vivo

Apatinib mesylate is an oral antiangiogenic agent that can inhibit activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 tyrosine kinase. However, its therapeutic use in liver cancer is restricted due to severe systemic toxicity. Our work aimed to construct apatinib-loaded CalliSpheres Beads (CBAPA) and investigate its application in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) of liver cancer. The established stock solution containing 20, 40 or 60 mg apatinib were fully mixed with 100-300 μm CalliSpheres Beads (CB) for 2 hours, respectively. The highest loading efficiency at 30 min after combination in 20 mg group (maximum 70.7%). Further, apatinib can be steadily released from CBAPA in vitro release test. For pharmacokinetics and tumor response in vivo, sixty New Zealand white rabbits with VX2 liver tumor were assigned into four groups: sham (NS) group, apatinib solution alone (APA) group, CB group and CBAPA group. Apatinib was measured in plasma and liver tissue by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Compared to APA group, the administration of apatinib by TACE with CBAPA resulted in low systemic concentration. In addition, intratumoural apatinib concentration was higher than adjacent hepatic parenchyma in the CBAPA group. Compared to other three groups, CBAPA group achieved lower tumor growth rate and improved survival time. In conclusion, these findings provide a basis for the potential application of apatinib-loaded CalliSpheres Beads in liver cancer.

CalliSpheres Drug-Eluting Bead Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Presents With Better Efficacy and Equal Safety Compared to Conventional TACE in Treating Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The aim of this study was to compare the treatment response, survival, liver function, and adverse event incidence of drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using CalliSpheres microspheres with conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Seventy-three patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who received drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (using CalliSpheres microspheres) or conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment were consecutively enrolled. Treatment response was assessed by modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors at month 1/month 3/month 6; posttreatment, liver function indexes, and adverse events were recorded. Progression-free survival and overall survival were also calculated. Objective response rate of patients at months 1, 3, and 6, disease control rate of patients and objective response rate of nodules at month 3 were increased in drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization group compared with conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization group. In addition, drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using CalliSpheres microspheres was an independent factor for predicting better objective response rate at month 1. Patients in drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization group achieved longer progression-free survival and similar overall survival compared to those in conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization group; Cox proportional hazards regression model analyses revealed that drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using CalliSpheres microspheres was associated with better progression-free survival while it did not affect overall survival. Meanwhile, most of the occurrences of abnormal liver function indexes were similar between 2 groups, whereas drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization group had a higher percentage of patients with total bile acid ≥2 upper limit of normal compared to conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization group at month 1. Moreover, the adverse event incidences between 2 groups were similar. In conclusion, drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using CalliSpheres microspheres achieves better treatment response and progression-free survival while equal safety compared to conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.