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An et al. Hepatoma Res 2023;9:43 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-5079.2023.60 Page 9 of 12

CONCLUSION
Locoregional treatments, including TACE and TARE, have demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety in
numerous retrospective studies in the context of non-resectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Both
TACE and TARE have been shown to provide an additional survival benefit in the setting of concomitant
systemic chemotherapy and should be considered in the first-line setting in combination with systemic
chemotherapy or in chemotherapy-refractory patients. However, the lack of quality data from well-
controlled, prospective trials limits the ability to drive formal recommendations for these interventions in
the context of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Based on currently available data, there is no clinically significant difference in efficacy between TARE and
TACE for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. A systemic review performed by Yang et al. in 929 patients
with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma demonstrated similar overall survival of 12.5 months for
[76]
TARE and 13 months for TACE . However, patient-specific factors such as a history of bilio-enteric
anastomosis or poor functional status may make TARE the preferred intervention due to decreased
infection risk and better short-term tolerability.

The majority of literature on TACE and TARE for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma are retrospective in
design and are limited by potential selection bias or differences in treatment protocols between treatment
groups. For both interventions, significant variations in chemotherapeutic agents, radio-embolic dosing
protocols, and operator technique/experience limit the interpretation of the available data and make
comparison with additional second-line therapeutic options challenging. However, given the promising
available clinical data for TACE and TARE for unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, more
prospective trials assessing the efficacy of these interventions are highly warranted.

DECLARATIONS
Authors’ contributions
Made substantial contributions to manuscript draft preparation, editing, and submission: An T,
Wehrenberg-Klee E

Availability of data and materials
Not applicable.

Financial support and sponsorship
None.

Conflicts of interest
All authors declared that there are no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.

Consent for publication
Not applicable.

Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023.