Transcatheter Embolization Therapy in Liver Cancer

Embolization procedure is commonly used in interventional oncology. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been shown to provide a survival benefit for liver cancer patients. TACE combines targeted chemotherapy with the effect of ischemic necrosis induced by arterial embolization. Recently, there have been efforts to improve the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to tumors, leading to the development of drug-eluting particles. To avoid the limitation of external beam irradiation due to the radiosensitive nature of normal hepatic tissue, minimally invasive transarterial radioembolization (TARE) technique has been developed, and proven to be safer in advanced liver cancers. This review describes the basic procedure of transarterial chemoembolization, properties and efficacy of some chemoembolization agents and radioembolization agents which are commercially available and/or currently under clinical evaluation. The key clinical trials of transcatheter arterial therapy for liver cancer and the recent patents relevant to cancer chemoembolization are also summarized.