Safety and efficacy of transcatheter chemoembolization combined with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for unresectable primary liver cancer: a single-center prospective study

Sep 30, 2026

Single-center prospective evaluation of combining transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) for unresectable primary liver cancer. Patients with unresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma (China Liver Cancer stage IIa–III, no distant metastasis) receiving TACE plus HAIC were followed from Feb 2023 to Sep 2024. Overall survival and progression-free survival served as primary endpoints, with tumor response assessed by mRECIST and safety analyzed across all treated patients. Among 29 eligible patients, objective response and disease control reached 77.3% and 90.9%, with no grade 3–5 treatment-related adverse events observed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

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Introduction

Background

Methods

Patients and endpoints

Tumor assessment and safety evaluation

Results

Objective response and disease control

Survival outcomes

Safety

Conclusions

Key takeaways

Safety and efficacy of transcatheter chemoembolization combined with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for unresectable primary liver cancer: a single-center prospective study Chi Xu1, Jiapeng Sun2\#, Qiongyu Liang1\#, Yanli Lu3, Jie Pan2 1Department of Interventional Treatment, Beijing No. 6 Hospital, Beijing, China; 2Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; 3Department of Radiology, Beijing No. 6 Hospital, Beijing, China Contributions: (I) Conception and design: C Xu, J Pan, Y Lu; (II) Administrative support: J Pan, Y Lu; (III) Provision of study materials or patients: C Xu; (IV) Collection and assembly of data: Q Liang, J Sun; (V) Data analysis and interpretation: Q Liang, J Sun; (VI) Manuscript writing: All authors; (VII) Final approval of manuscript: All authors. \#These authors contributed equally to this work. Correspondence to: Jie Pan, MD. Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shuaifuyuan No. 1 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, [China. Email: markpan6885@sina.com](China. Email: markpan6885@sina.com); Yanli Lu, MM. Department of Radiology, Beijing No. 6 Hospital, No. 36 Jiaodaokou North 2nd Alley, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100009, China. Email: [luyanlibj6@163.com](luyanlibj6@163.com). Background: Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with many patients ineligible for curative resection. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) are two key interventional therapies recommended for unresectable cases. Recent studies suggest that combining them may enhance treatment efficacy compared to either approach alone. This prospective study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TACE combined with HAIC in patients with unresectable PLC. Methods: Patients with unresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma (China Liver Cancer stage IIa–III, without distant metastasis) who received TACE combined with HAIC from February 2023 to September 2024, at the Department of Interventional Treatment, Beijing No. 6 Hospital, were included. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) . Safety was evaluated in all patients who received at least one treatment cycle. Tumor response was assessed using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) . Results: Among the 29 eligible patients, the median follow-up month was 16 months. The mRECIST assessments were available for 22 patients. Among them, six (27.3%) achieved complete response, 11 (50.0%) showed partial response, two (9.1%) showed progressive disease, and three (13.64%) showed stable disease. The objective response rate was 77.3%, and the disease control rate was 90.9% . Three patients (10.3%) underwent successful surgical resection following treatment. Median OS and PFS were not reached. The estimated 6-, 12-, and 18-month OS rates were 90%, 85% and 85%, respectively. No grade 3–5 treatment related adverse events were observed. Conclusions: In patients with China Liver Cancer stage IIa–III, the combined treatment demonstrated a favorable safety profile and preliminary efficacy, also enabling transformative resection in some patients. Keywords: Primary liver cancer (PLC); transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE); hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC); combined treatment; efficacy Submitted Jun 13, 2025. Accepted for publication Sep 11, 2025. Published online Dec 16, 2025. doi: 10.21037/jgo-2025-459 View this article at: [https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jgo-2025-459](https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jgo-2025-459) © AME Publishing Company. J Gastrointest Oncol 2025;16(6):2731-2740 | [https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jgo-2025-459](https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jgo-2025-459) 2732 Xu et al. TACE-HAIC combination in PLC Introduction

FAQs

Who were the study participants and what disease stage was included?

Participants had unresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma (China Liver Cancer stage IIa–III) without distant metastasis who received TACE combined with HAIC between Feb 2023 and Sep 2024.

How were tumor response and survival outcomes evaluated?

Tumor response was assessed using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used as primary endpoints.

What safety results were observed in the study?

No grade 3–5 treatment-related adverse events were reported, indicating a favorable safety profile.

What were the main efficacy findings reported?

Among evaluable patients, the objective response rate was 77.3% and the disease control rate was 90.9%, with several patients achieving complete or partial response. Median OS and PFS were not reached, and estimated OS rates at 6, 12, and 18 months were reported.

Sep 30, 2026

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