Conventional vs drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 2 The incidence of adverse events from studies comparing drug-eluting bead-transarterial chemoembolization and conventional transarterial chemoembolization in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Adverse event	Lammer et al[10]	Wiggermann et al[46]	Song et al[9]	Golfieri et al[35]
Nausea	Post-embolization syndrome 24.7%/25.9%	Post-embolization syndrome 21.7%/16.3%, P = 0.52	Post-embolization syndrome 22.2%/20.6%, P = 0.850	2.2%/3.4%, P = 0.682
Pain				24.7%/71.6%, P = 0.01
Fever				7.9%/11.4%, P = 0.457
Fatigue				0%/4.5%, P = 0.059
Marrow suppression	5.4%/5.6%	NR	NR	NR
Cholecystitis	NR	NR	4.7%/3.3%, P = 0.692	2.2%/1.1%, P = 0.999
Abscess	NR	2	NR	1.1%/1.1%, P = 0.999
Alopecia	1.1%/20.4%	NR	NR	NR
Liver function worsening	Significant reduction in DEB1	NR	AST, 36%/52%, P = 0.259	1.1%/5.7%3, P = 0.118
			ALT, 31%/20%, P = 0.280
Hematoma	NR	NR	NR	1.1%/3.4%, P = 0.368
Infection	NR	NR	NR	0%/1.1%, P = 0.497

¹The mean maximum ALT elevation in the DEB-TACE group was 50% less than in the cTACE group (95%CI: 39%-65%; P < 0.001) and 41% less with regard to AST (95%CI: 46%-76%; P ≤ 0.001);

²Major complications was defined hospitalization > 24 h, greater therapy and unplanned added costs in treatment, permanent persisting sequelae and death of the patient. DEB-TACE vs cTACE, 13.0% (n = 6, including 2 liver abscesses) vs 2.3% (n = 1), P = 0.06;

³Increase in Child-Push score of ≥ 2 points. DEB-TACE: Drug-eluting bead-transarterial chemoembolization; cTACE: Conventional transarterial chemoembolization; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate transaminase; NR: Not reported.