Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with epirubicin-loaded superabsorbent polymer microspheres for 135 hepatocellular carcinoma patients: single-center experience.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety, clinical outcomes, and hepatic artery damage after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with epirubicin-loaded superabsorbent polymer microspheres (ELM-TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a single center in Japan.

Materials And Methods: This embolic agent is the original form of microspheres, which has the same composition and nature as HepaSpheres. Between May 2007 and June 2009, 135 patients with unresectable HCC who underwent ELM-TACE were enrolled.