Correction to: Balloon occluded TACE (B-TACE) vs DEM-TACE for HCC: a single center retrospective case control study

Following publication of the original article, the authors identified an error in the author name of Stefania Brozzetti. • The incorrect author name is: Stefania Brozetti. • The correct author name is: Stefania Brozzetti. The author group has been updated above and the original article has been corrected. Background:To compare oncological results and safety profile of balloon micro-catheter trans-arterial chemoembo-lization (b-TACE) and drug-eluting-microsphere (DEM-TACE) in patients with hepatocellular-carcinoma (HCC).Methods:This is a case–control, retrospective, single-center study. Between January-2015/March-2019, 149 patients (131 males [87.9%]) with 226 HCC were treated, 22 patients (35 HCC; 19 [86.4%] males) with b-TACE and 127 with DEM-TACE (191 HCC, 112 [88.2%] males). Embolization protocol was standardized (sequential 100 ± 25 and 200 ±25 μm microspheres). Results were evaluated by modified-response-evaluation-criteria-in-solid-tumor [mRE-CIST ] at 1, 3–6 and 9–12 months and time to recurrence after complete response [TTR] at 1 years. Cox’s regression weighted with tumor dimensions was performed. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded.Results:mRECIST oncological response at all time points (1, 3–6 and 9–12 months) for both treatments were similar, with the exception of Objective response rate at 9-12 months. Objective response at 1 and 3–6 months between b-TACE vs DEM-TACE [23/35 (65.7%) vs 119/191 (62.3%), 21/29 (72.4%) vs 78/136 (57.4%) (p > 0.05), respectively]. On the contrary, at 9–12 months, it was significantly higher in b-TACE subgroup than DEM-TACE (15/19 [78.9%] vs 48/89 [53.9%], p=0.05). TTR for complete response at 1 year had a better trend for b-TACE vs DEM-TACE (278.0 days [196.0–342.0] vs 219.0 days [161.0–238.0], OR 0.68 [0.4–1.0], p=0.10). The use of balloon micro-catheter reduced the relative risk of the event of recurrence by 0.63 [CI95% 0.38–1.04]; p=0.07). No significant differences were found in AEs rate.Conclusion:b-TACE showed a trend of better oncological response over DEM-TACE with and longer TTR with a simi-lar adverse events rate, in patients presenting with larger tumors.