94 - Precision Liver Therapy: DEBIRI Chemoembolisation in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Monday, April 13, 2026

3:36 PM - 3:45 PM ET

Presenting Author(s)

TD

Trupthi Das, MD, MBBS

Interventional Radiologist
People Tree Hospital, Bangalore, India

Author/Co-author(s)

RY

Reddiprasad Yadavali, MBBS

Consultant and Head, Department of Interventional Radiology
Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
RV

Roshan Valentine, MD, MBBS

Fellow in Interventional Oncology
Division of Vascular & Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy, safety and survival outcomes of transarterial chemoembolization using irinotecan-loaded drug-eluting beads (DEBIRI TACE) in patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases refractory to systemic chemotherapy.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 26 patients (mean age: 61.8 years; range: 42–76 years) with histologically confirmed and resected colorectal adenocarcinoma and unresectable liver metastases who had progressed on at least one line of systemic chemotherapy. A total of 44 DEBIRI TACE procedures were performed between January 2021 and January 2025. Patients with extrahepatic disease or ECOG performance status >2 were excluded. The DEBIRI procedures were conducted via a transfemoral approach using 100–300 µm irinotecan-loaded embolic microspheres. Follow-up imaging was conducted at 1 and 3 months post-procedure, and then at 3-month intervals, with response assessed according to mRECIST criteria.

Results: The study cohort comprised 26 patients, including 17 males (65.4%) and 9 females (34.6%), with a mean age of 61.8 years (range: 42–76 years).

Of the 26 patients, 4 (15.4%) demonstrated complete response, 11 (42.3%) partial response, 7 (26.9%) stable disease, and 4 (15.4%) progressive disease at 3-month imaging follow-up. The overall disease control rate (CR + PR + SD) was 84.6%.

The median overall survival (OS) was 39.2 months (range: 16.8–65.5 months). The 3-year and 5-year OS rates were 54.1% and 19.3%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.8 months (range: 2.5–11.1 months), with 1-year and 2-year PFS rates of 22.4% and 9.7%, respectively. Notably, patients achieving complete or partial response on first follow-up imaging had significantly longer OS (median 47.6 months) than those with stable or progressive disease (median 28.4 months).

Conclusion: DEBIRI TACE is a safe and effective image-guided locoregional therapy for patients with unresectable and chemorefractory colorectal liver metastases. The high disease control rate and favorable median overall survival underscore its potential role in the palliative setting. This procedure exemplifies the evolving field of interventional oncology and supports the expansion in cancer care.