Haemorrhagic Complications and Symptomatic Venous Thromboembolism in Interventional Tumour Ablations: The Impact of Peri-interventional Thrombosis Prophylaxis

Management of liver metastases (oligometastatic) by high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy: A case series

PURPOSE

To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of interstitial brachytherapy in cases of oligo-metastatic liver disease.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Four cases of liver metastases were managed over a period of 1 year in our center with close follow-up. All patients had progressive disease with histopathologially proven liver metastases and were ineligible for surgery. The procedure involved placement of brachytherapy catheters under computed tomography (CT) guidance post placement of a single 6F angiography sheath. The median size of metastasis was 2.9 cm (range 2.2-3.4 cms) in diameter, and a single fraction of radiation dose (10 to 13 Gy) was delivered. The angiography sheath and brachytherapy catheters were removed under fluoroscopic guidance post completion of the procedure with the help of an interventional radiologist. The fluoro guidance for removal of catheters was to observe any bleed. Response to treatment in terms of control of the metastases along with complications, safety, and efficacy of the procedure was observed.

RESULTS

All patients underwent re-evaluation with WB-PET-CT after 1 and 6 months. In three cases, complete response with no metabolic activity was noted on WB-PET-CT scan, and in one case, there was a partial response with a decrease in the size and metabolic activity of the metastasis. No fatal complications were noted; however, acute complications like grade 1 nausea, grade 1 vomiting, pain, and local hemorrhage were noted within 1 week of the procedure.

CONCLUSION

Liver interstitial brachytherapy is a feasible option in patients with maybe oligo metastatic solid tumors requiring a multi-disciplinary team effort. It is also an option for patients who are unfit for surgical excision. This is the first reported case series in India using high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy techniques with an angiography sheath and flexible brachytherapy catheters.

Local tumor control of intermediate and advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma after local ablative treatment with image-guided interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy: A subgroup analysis of 286 HCC nodules

PURPOSE

Image-guided interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy (iBT) has been demonstrated to offer high local tumor control rates (LTC) of >90% after local ablation of intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; BCLC B and C). The purpose of this study was to show the efficacy of iBT stratified by subgroups and to identify clinical characteristics associated with superior local tumor control (LTC) based on a highly heterogenous patient population METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cumulative number of 286 HCC nodules in 107 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical and imaging follow-ups were conducted every 3 months after treatment. Analyzed clinical factors were: etiology, presence of liver cirrhosis, radiographic features, lesion size, pretreatment, administered dose, presence of portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis, and level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

RESULTS

LTC rate was 88.8% for a median follow-up of 14.3 months (range 3-81 months; 95% CI: 85-92%). Median minimal enclosing tumor dose (D100) was 16.1 Gy (range 7.1-30.3 Gy; reference dose 15 Gy). Subgroup analysis showed significant fewer local recurrences for alcoholic liver disease (ALD)-related HCCs compared to those related to other causes of liver cirrhosis (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, virus-related liver cirrhosis and other causes) (p = 0.015). LTC was significantly lower after prior surgical resection (p = 0.046). No significant variance was observed for the applied D100 in each group or for all other clinical factors tested.

CONCLUSIONS

IBT achieves high LTC rates across treated subgroups. However, further studies should particularly address the possible impact of underlying etiology on local recurrence with emphasis on a possible higher radiosensitivity of ALD-related HCCs.

Interstitial High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy of Liver Metastases in Oligometastatic Patients

Simple Summary

Local ablative treatments have emerged as a promising treatment strategy for patients with oligometastatic disease. Interstitial brachytherapy (iBT) is one of the locally ablative treatment options for unresectable liver metastases in oligometastatic disease. We report the feasibility and oncologic outcome of 141 iBT treatments of 244 oligometastatic liver metastases performed in patients with limited tumor burdens in a high-volume center. iBT was feasible, safe and effective in the treatment of oligometastatic liver metastases with good local control rates and low toxicity. Histology and total tumor volume had an impact on local control rates.

Abstract

Local ablative treatments have emerged as a promising treatment strategy for patients with oligometastatic disease. Among others, interstitial brachytherapy (iBT) is an upcoming treatment option for unresectable liver metastases. We report the feasibility and oncologic outcome of iBT of oligometastatic liver metastases performed in patients with limited tumor burdens in a high-volume center. Patients undergoing iBT between August 2017and March 2019 were included. A retrospective analysis of patient outcomes and treatment complications was performed. Patients treated for metastatic colorectal carcinoma (CRC) were compared to other histologies. A total of 141 iBT procedures were performed in 106 patients (male:52; female:54) and 244 liver metastases. Overall, 51% (54/106) of patients had a diagnosis of metastatic CRC. The median follow-up was 9 months, and overall survival (OS) was 92.3% at 6 months and 76.3% at 12 months. Local-relapse-free survival (LRFS) was 88.4% at 6 months and 71.5% at 12 months, with a significant difference between patients with CRC (84.1% and 50.6%) versus other histologies (92.4% and 92.4%, p < 0.001). A sub-group analysis showed a significant advantage in patients with CRC receiving a minimal dose (D100) of 20 Gy to the planning target volume. Treatments of smaller total liver-tumor volumes (<18 ccm) resulted in better LRFS rates. iBT is a safe and effective treatment approach for oligometastatic liver disease. A higher treatment dose is needed for patients with CRC. Moreover, lower metastatic burdens may be favorable for LRFS. Prospective studies are needed to assess the role of iBT in the oligometastatic setting as an alternative to other local ablative treatment approaches in patients with liver metastases.

HDR Brachytherapy and SBRT as Bridging Therapy to Liver Transplantation in HCC Patients: A Single-Center Experience

Background

In the treatment of patients with HCC awaiting liver transplantation (LT), local ablative treatments (LAT) are available either for downstaging or as bridging treatment. We present our clinical experience with both available radiation-based techniques, brachytherapy (BT), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

Methods

All patients diagnosed with HCC and who were treated with BT or SBRT at our institution between 2011 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The current analysis included all patients who subsequently underwent LT.

Results

A total of 14 patients (male=9; female=5) were evaluated. Seven underwent BT for bridging before LT, and seven were treated with SBRT. BT was performed with a prescribed dose of 1 × 15 Gy, while SBRT was applied with 37 Gy (65%-iso) in three fractions in six patients, and one patient was treated with 54 Gy (100%-iso) in nine fractions. The treatment was generally well tolerated. One case of grade 3 bleeding was reported after BT, and one case of liver failure occurred following SBRT. All patients underwent LT after a median time interval of 152 days (range 47–311) after BT and 202 days (range 44–775) following SBRT. In eight cases, no viable tumor was found in the explanted liver, while four liver specimens showed vital tumor. The median follow-up after SBRT was 41 months and 17 months following BT. Overall, no hepatic HCC recurrence occurred following LT.

Conclusion

Both SBRT and BT are feasible and well tolerated as bridging to LT when applied with caution in patients with impaired liver function. Radiation-based treatments can close the gap for patients not suitable for other locally ablative treatment options.

Multi-modal and sequential treatment of liver cancer and its impact on the gastrointestinal tract

Hepatic tumors include hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC), a small subgroup of tumors (approx. 1%) are classified as combined hepatocellularcholangiocellular carcinomas. Different stage-dependent therapeutic approaches comprise resection, local ablative techniques, locoregional therapies, systemic treatment, liver transplantation in selected cases and possible combination of these treatment modalities. This review summarizes current knowledge on multi-modal treatment strategies for liver cancer focusing on gastrointestinal side effects.

Therapeutic Concepts for Oligometastatic Gastrointestinal Tumours

Background

Clinical trials have proven a survival benefit from applying local therapies for oligometastatic cancers of various origin.

Summary

Today, the definition of oligometa-static disease is based on limited lesion numbers and organ systems involved. Treatment guidelines by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and several other groups suggest a threshold of up to 5 tumours. Established biological markers indicating the aggressiveness of a given tumour (and therefore suggesting local treatment only or the addition of or complete switch to systemic therapies) are missing, except for disease-free survival, the only recommended parameter for patient selection beyond lesion count.

Key Message

The following article discusses clinical implications as well as local techniques established for the treatment of oligometastatic disease.