Cancer-related non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) accounts for approximately 5% of all cases of UGIB [1, 2]. It is the result of vessel disruption by the tumor and is associated with substantial blood loss, with up to 73% of patients requiring blood transfusion therapy and 45% of cases presenting with hemodynamic instability [2]. Treatment to prevent rebleeding is important in patients with cancer-related non-variceal bleeding, especially when further anti-cancer treatment is planned. Endoscopic therapy is the mainstay of treatment for non-variceal UGIB [3]. However, high rebleeding rates (33–80%) have been reported in patients who underwent endoscopic therapy for the treatment of cancer-related non-variceal bleeding [1, 2, 4]. In addition, patients with cancer-related non-variceal UGIB may not be amenable to endoscopic therapy due to patient factors (e.g., hemodynamic instability and coagulopathy) and technical difficulties in performing the procedure (e.g., poor endoscopic visualization and diffuse bleeding).

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is a well-established alternative to surgery for the treatment of non-variceal UGIB in patients who are refractory or not amenable to endoscopic therapy [3]. However, the reported clinical success rates (44–94%) and 30-day mortality rates (4–46%) of TAE for the treatment of non-variceal UGIB ranged widely in previous studies [5]. One of the reasons for this may be the inclusion of patients with a wide range of causes of non-variceal UGIB (e.g., peptic ulcer disease and iatrogenic injury). In the limited studies available on the outcomes of TAE for the treatment of cancer-related non-variceal UGIB, relatively low clinical success rates (40–65%) and high 30-day mortality rates (25–60%) have been reported [6], [7], [8]. These results call into question the value of TAE for the cancer-related non-variceal UGIB population. In addition, the safety of TAE in this population remains a concern due to potentially increased risks of ischemic complications owing to tumor embolization.

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the outcomes of TAE for the treatment of cancer-related non-variceal UGIB.