Pirarubicin-loaded CalliSpheres® drug-eluting beads for the treatment of patients with stage III-IV lung cancer.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: CalliSpheres® beads (CB) have been used recently for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the safety and effect of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) in patients with stage III-IV lung cancer are still unknown. PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of DEB-TACE with pirarubicin-loaded CB for the treatment of stage III-IV lung cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From July 2016 to April 2020, 29 patients with stage III-IV primary lung cancer underwent DEB-TACE with pirarubicin-loaded CB. The objective response rate (ORR) was the primary endpoint; the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients received DEB-TACE with pirarubicin-loaded (median 60 mg) CB, with no severe adverse events or treatment-related deaths. After DEB-TACE, hemoptysis disappeared within 1-3 days in all patients, and the symptoms of cough or expectoration were significantly improved in 12 patients. ORR and disease control rate at one, three, and six months after DEB-TACE were 39.3% and 96.4%, 26.1% and 69.6%, and 29.4% and 58.8%, respectively. The median PFS was 6.3 months (range 1.1-30.1 months), and the three-, six-, and 12-month PFS rates were 70.2%, 50.1%, and 27.1%, respectively. The median OS was 10.2 months (range 1.1-44.6 months), and the three-, six, and 12-month OS rates were 87.9%, 68.6%, and 39.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: DEB-TACE with pirarubicin-loaded CB is safe, feasible, and well-tolerated for patients with stage III-IV lung cancer, and symptom control was a potential benefit of treatment.