Liver-dominant Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Comparative Outcomes Study of Chemoembolization Radioembolization.

AIM

To compare toxicity, response, and survival outcomes of patients with hepatic metastases from breast cancer who underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or radioembolization (TARE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review was carried out of all patients who underwent TACE or TARE for liver-dominant breast cancer metastases between January 2006 and March 2016 at an academic medical center in the United States.

RESULTS

Seventeen patients in the TACE group and 30 patients in the TARE group received 32 TACE and 49 TARE treatments, respectively. Median follow-up was 9 months. Both groups had similar background variables. More all-grade adverse events were seen in the TACE group (71% vs. 44%; p=0.02). Median overall survival in the TACE group was 4.6 months compared to 12.9 months in the TARE group (p=0.2349). Treatment type was not an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

TARE is better tolerated than TACE for the treatment of liver-dominant breast cancer metastasis. There was a trend towards improved survival with TARE; however, it did not approach statistical significance. Larger studies are needed to validate these findings.