Predictive Factors for Recurrent Hemoptysis after Bronchial Artery Embolization in Patients with Lung Cancer.

Purpose: To identify clinical, radiological, and angiographic characteristics associated with recurrent hemoptysis after bronchial artery embolization (BAE) in patients with lung cancer and severe hemoptysis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Materials And Methods: A total of 144 consecutive patients with lung cancer who underwent BAE for life-threatening hemoptysis admitted in the ICU between 2014 and 2022 were retrospectively included. Demographics, laboratory values, clinical course, and radiological/angiographic features were compared between those with and without recurrent hemoptysis within 1 month after embolization.

Results: Of the 144 patients (mean age, 60.2 years [SD ± 10.9]; females, 15.3%), 34.7% (50/144) experienced clinically relevant recurrent hemoptysis within 1 month; among them, 29 of 50 (58.0%) cases necessitated a second embolization. Massive hemoptysis was observed in 54.2%, with 16.7% receiving the vasopressin analog terlipressin. The mean volume of hemoptysis and simplified acute physiology score II (SAPS II) were 235 mL (SD ± 214.3) and 31.2 (SD ± 18.6), respectively. Computed tomography (CT) angiography revealed pulmonary artery (PA) injury (11.5%) and necrosis/cavitation (25.8%), and PA embolization was performed in 15.3% of cases. Technical success rate was 92%. SAPS II (P = .01), massive hemoptysis (P < .001), terlipressin use (P = .01), necrosis/cavitation (P = .01), and PA injury on CT angiography (P < .001) were associated with recurrent hemoptysis. Independent predictors on multivariate analysis were massive hemoptysis (P = .016) and PA injury on CT angiography (P = .001).

Conclusions: In patients with lung cancer and life-threatening hemoptysis treated by BAE, massive hemoptysis and PA injury identified on CT angiography are independent predictors of recurrent hemoptysis.