Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40506952›Full record

ReviewDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Optimizing TACE for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Impact of Intra-Arterial Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound.

Linda Galasso, Jacopo Iaccarino, Giorgio Esposto, Gabriele Giansanti, Irene Mignini, Raffaele Borriello, Gianpaolo Vidili, Antonio Gasbarrini, Maria Elena Ainora, Maria Assunta Zocco

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Linda GalassoCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Jacopo IaccarinoCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0009-0003-0511-0954
Giorgio EspostoCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Gabriele GiansantiCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Irene MigniniCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Raffaele BorrielloCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Gianpaolo VidiliDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8903-5829
Antonio GasbarriniCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6230-1779
Maria Elena AinoraCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5847-1065
Maria Assunta ZoccoCEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a well-established treatment for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), shown through randomized trials to improve survival compared to supportive care in patients with large, unresectable tumors who are not candidates for liver transplantation or local ablation. As the most commonly used transarterial intervention, TACE is also employed to downstage advanced HCC, allowing certain patients to become eligible for orthotopic liver transplantation under the Milan criteria. Despite its widespread use, variability in therapeutic outcomes highlights the need for improved procedural guidance. Recent advancements in intra-arterial contrast-enhanced ultrasound (IA CEUS) offer new opportunities to enhance TACE precision with real-time imaging that provides superior visualization of tumor vasculature and chemoembolic agent distribution. This review explores the role of IA CEUS in refining TACE for HCC, emphasizing its potential to increase intraprocedural accuracy and reduce the risk of incomplete tumor embolization. The enhanced spatial resolution of IA CEUS enables real-time tracking of embolic agent dispersion within tumor vessels, which could improve therapeutic efficacy by ensuring complete tumor targeting and minimizing non-target embolization. Additionally, IA CEUS may decrease procedural complications by allowing dynamic adjustment of embolic delivery based on real-time imaging feedback. By reviewing existing evidence on IA CEUS applications in TACE, this article highlights the modality's potential to transform treatment protocols, improve outcomes, and expand the patient population eligible for TACE.

Indexed as

hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)intra-arterial contrast-enhanced ultrasound (IA CEUS)transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)

Identifiers

PMID40506952
PMCPMC12154304

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.