Expert consensus guideline on TACE for unresectable HCC in Vietnam

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Frontiers in Medicine Published April 23, 2026 Medically reviewed April 24, 2026 Study authors: Vu Dang Luu, Do Dang Tan, Pham Minh Thong, Le Van Khang, Le Thanh Dung, Le Trong Binh, Nguyen Ngoc T… DOI ↗ By Dr. Julia Lee, PhD · Oncology, Genomics & Drug Development

Key Takeaway

Consider this expert consensus to enhance TACE consistency for unresectable HCC in Vietnam.

This document serves as an expert consensus guideline rather than a primary trial or systematic review. It focuses specifically on the management of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Vietnam. The scope is limited to providing recommendations to improve the consistency of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) practices in this region.

The authors do not report specific sample sizes, primary outcomes, or secondary outcomes. Consequently, no pooled effect sizes, p-values, or confidence intervals are available to quantify the clinical impact of these recommendations. The guideline does not detail specific adverse events, tolerability profiles, or discontinuation rates for the intervention.

The primary practice relevance identified is the potential to enhance the efficacy and consistency of TACE for HCC management in Vietnam. However, because this is a consensus statement without reported quantitative data or a defined comparator, the strength of these recommendations relies on expert opinion rather than empirical evidence from this specific source.

Clinicians should note that this guideline addresses a specific geographic and clinical context. The lack of reported safety data or statistical outcomes limits the ability to generalize findings or assess risk-benefit ratios based solely on this text.

Study Details

Study typeGuideline

EvidenceLevel 5

PublishedApr 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major public health challenge in Vietnam and, according to GLOBOCAN 2022, accounted for 24,502 new cases in 2022, making it the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), introduced in 1977, is a pivotal treatment for unresectable HCC, delivering chemotherapeutic agents and embolic materials to induce tumor necrosis through cytotoxicity and ischemia. TACE is versatile and, in selected early-stage HCC (BCLC 0-A) treated with a highly selective approach, may achieve complete response; in intermediate-stage disease (BCLC B), it can prolong survival and enable downstaging, and in advanced-stage disease (BCLC C), it may complement systemic therapy. Despite its global use, TACE practices vary, and Vietnam lacks standardized guidelines tailored to its unique clinical landscape. The Vietnamese Society of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and The Vietnamese Society of Interventional Radiology conducted three workshops in Da Nang, An Giang, and Can Tho between August and December 2024. These workshops engaged interventional radiologists from major hospitals and regional centers to develop consensus-based TACE recommendations. Through literature reviews, discussions, and physician voting, the recommendations cover pre-TACE diagnostic imaging, patient selection criteria, TACE techniques, choice of embolic materials and chemotherapeutic agents, intra- and post-procedure monitoring, and integration with combination therapies. This initiative aligns international standards with local needs, aiming to enhance the efficacy and consistency of TACE for HCC management in Vietnam.