Immediate and late outcomes of bronchial and systemic artery embolization for palliative treatment of patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer having hemoptysis.

Background: Hemoptysis in patients with advanced lung cancer can be a life threatening. Objectives: To evaluate immediate outcomes and late outcomes of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) for palliative treatment in patients with advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) having hemoptysis. Methods: The BAE was performed in 28 patients with NSCLC. Hemoptysis was defined as follows: massive bleeding greater than 300 mL within 24 hours (n = 8), moderate bleeding of 100 to 300 mL within 24 hours (n = 12), and slight bleeding less than 100 mL within 24 hours (n = 8). Results: Success rate was 96%. Immediate clinical success within 24 hours after BAE was achieved in 22 of the 27 patients who underwent embolization. Conclusions: The BAE with gelatin sponge particles can provide good management of hemoptysis as a palliative treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC.