Clinical practice in radioembolization of hepatic malignancies: A survey among interventional centers in Europe

Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE) Global Practice Patterns: An International Survey by the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Society of Europe (CIRSE)

PURPOSE

An international survey was conducted by the Cardiovascular Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) to evaluate radioembolization practice and capture opinions on real-world clinical and technical aspects of this therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A survey with 32 multiple choice questions was sent as an email to CIRSE members between November and December 2022. CIRSE group member and sister societies promoted the survey to their local members. The dataset was cleaned of duplicates and entries with missing data, and the resulting anonymized dataset was analysed. Data were presented using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 133 sites, from 30 countries, spanning 6 continents. Most responses were from European centres (87/133, 65%), followed by centres from the Americas (22/133, 17%). Responding sites had been performing radioembolization for 10 years on average and had completed a total of 20,140 procedures over the last 5 years. Hepatocellular carcinoma treatments constituted 56% of this total, colorectal liver metastasis 17% and cholangiocarcinoma 14%. New sites had opened every year for the past 20 years, indicating the high demand for this therapy. Results showed a trend towards individualized treatment, with 79% of responders reporting use of personalized dosimetry for treatment planning and 97% reporting routine assessment of microsphere distribution post-treatment. Interventional radiologists played an important role in referrals, being present in the referring multi-disciplinary team in 91% of responding centres.

CONCLUSION

This survey provides insight into the current state of radioembolization practice globally. The results reveal the increasing significance placed on dosimetry, evolving interventional techniques and increased technology integration.

Prophylactic Medication during Radioembolization in Metastatic Liver Disease: Is It Really Necessary? A Retrospective Cohort Study and Systematic Review of the Literature

PURPOSE

Trans-arterial radioembolization is a well-studied tumoricidal treatment for liver malignancies; however, consensus and evidence regarding periprocedural prophylactic medication (PPM) are lacking.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective analysis from 2014 to 2020 was performed in patients treated with 90Y-glass microspheres for neuroendocrine or colorectal liver metastases. Inclusion criteria were the availability of at least 3 months of clinical, biochemical, and imaging follow-up and post-treatment 90Y-PET/CT imaging for the determination of the whole non-tumorous liver absorbed dose (Dh). Logistic regression models were used to investigate if variables (among which are P/UDCA and Dh) were associated with either clinical toxicity, biochemical toxicity, or hepatotoxicity. Additionally, a structured literature search was performed in November 2022 to identify all publications related to PPM use in radioembolization treatments.

RESULTS

Fifty-one patients received P/UDCA as post-treatment medication, while 19 did not. No correlation was found between toxicity and P/UDCA use. Dh was associated with biochemical toxicity (p = 0.05). A literature review resulted in eight relevant articles, including a total of 534 patients, in which no consistent advice regarding PPM was provided.

CONCLUSION

In this single-center, retrospective review, P/UDCA use did not reduce liver toxicity in patients with metastatic liver disease. The whole non-tumorous liver-absorbed dose was the only significant factor for hepatotoxicity. No standardized international guidelines or supporting evidence exist for PPM in radioembolization.

Non-Invasive Imaging Biomarkers to Predict the Hepatopulmonary Shunt Fraction Before Transarterial Radioembolization in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose

To identify disease-specific profiles comprising patient characteristics and imaging biomarkers on contrast-enhanced (CE)-computed tomography (CT) that enable the non-invasive prediction of the hepatopulmonary shunt fraction (HPSF) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before resin-based transarterial radioembolization (TARE).

Patients and Methods

This institutional review board-approved (EA2/071/19) retrospective study included 56 patients with HCC recommended for TARE. All patients received tri-phasic CE-CT within 6 weeks prior to an angiographic TARE evaluation study using technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin. Imaging biomarkers representative of tumor extent, morphology, and perfusion, as well as disease-specific clinical parameters, were used to perform data-driven variable selection with backward elimination to generate multivariable linear regression models predictive of HPSF. Results were used to create clinically applicable risk scores for patients scheduled for TARE. Additionally, Cox regression was used to identify independent risk factors for poor overall survival (OS).

Results

Mean HPSF was 13.11% ± 7.6% (range: 2.8- 35.97%). Index tumor diameter (p = 0.014) or volume (p = 0.034) in combination with index tumor non-rim arterial phase enhancement (APHE) (p < 0.001) and washout (p < 0.001) were identified as significant non-invasive predictors of HPSF on CE-CT. Specifically, the prediction models revealed that the HPSF increased with index lesion diameter or volume and showed higher HPSF if non-rim APHE was present. In contrast, index tumor washout was associated with decreased HPSF levels. Independent risk factors of poorer OS were radiogenomic venous invasion and ascites at baseline.

Conclusion

The featured prediction models can be used for the initial non-invasive estimation of HPSF in patients with HCC before TARE to assist in clinical treatment evaluation while potentially sparing ineligible patients from the angiographic shunt evaluation study.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with cirrhosis: Current evidence for clinical practice

Patients with cirrhosis show an increased susceptibility to infection due to disease-related immune-dysfunction. Bacterial infection therefore represents a common, often detrimental event in patients with advanced liver disease, since it can worsen portal hypertension and impair the function of hepatic and extra-hepatic organs. Among pharmacological strategies to prevent infection, antibiotic prophylaxis remains the first-choice, especially in high-risk groups, such as patients with acute variceal bleeding, low ascitic fluid proteins, and prior episodes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Nevertheless, antibiotic prophylaxis has to deal with the changing bacterial epidemiology in cirrhosis, with increased rates of gram-positive bacteria and multidrug resistant rods, warnings about quinolones-related side effects, and low prescription adherence. Short-term antibiotic prophylaxis is applied in many other settings during hospitalization, such as before interventional or surgical procedures, but often without knowledge of local bacterial epidemiology and without strict adherence to antimicrobial stewardship. This paper offers a detailed overview on the application of antibiotic prophylaxis in cirrhosis, according to the current evidence.

Anatomy of the hepatic arteries and their extrahepatic branches in the human liver: A cadaveric study

BACKGROUND

To describe the hepatic arterial anatomy in detail, tracing the individual hepatic arteries from their origin, extrahepatic course, branching to their segmental territorial supply as applicable to the vascular mapping for hepatic endovascular procedures.

METHODS

The study was conducted on 100 formalin fixed adult cadaveric livers. The hepatic arterial anatomy was dissected from the origin of hepatic arteries up to their segmental branching.

RESULTS

The origin of hepatic arteries was standard in 72% and aberrant in 28% livers. In livers with standard origin, extrahepatic branching of the main hepatic artery was close to the hepatic hilum in 48% and was in the lower part of the hepatoduodenal ligament in 24% livers. The pattern of extrahepatic branching in each type was three and five respectively. Aberrant arterial anatomy was broadly categorized into three groups. The mapping of segmental arterial vascularization of individual hepatic arteries in each type was also done.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study, an attempt was made to systematically describe the complex hepatic arterial anatomy in a clinically applicable fashion. High variability was seen in the hepatic arterial anatomy at each level, a lot of which could not be included in the current classification systems. The information provided is an important prerequisite for performing accurate intra-arterial hepatic interventions.

Feasibility of Boosted Radioembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Larger than 5 cm

PURPOSE

To address the feasibility of yttrium-90 (⁹⁰Y) glass microspheres administered at a boosted dose in large hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From July 2016 to August 2017, 20 patients who underwent ⁹⁰Y radioembolization for treatment-naïve HCC met the following inclusion criteria: (i) nodular tumor, (ii) tumor size > 5 cm, (iii) Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage A/B disease, (iv) target perfused tissue dose > 150 Gy, and (v) all tumors treated in 1 session of radioembolization. Follow-up radiologic findings and clinical outcomes were retrospectively reviewed until May 2018. Tumor response was determined per modified Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors.

RESULTS

Mean total radiation activity infused was 4.96 GBq ± 1.82 (median, 4.88 GBq; range, 1.63-9.15 GBq). Mean target perfused tissue dose was 263.5 Gy ± 95.2 (median, 241.6 Gy; range, 156.2-550.6 Gy). The mean number of vials used per treatment was 4.15 ± 1.4 (median, 4; range, 2-7). Complete response rates were 25% at 1 month and 60% at 3 months. Complete response of the primary index tumor was achieved in 16 patients (80%) based on best tumor response. Local progression-free survival and progression-free survival rates were 94.1% and 85.0% at 6 mo and 94.1% and 74.7% at 1 year, respectively. Four patients (20%) had symptomatic (n = 3) or asymptomatic (n = 1) benign biliary strictures.

CONCLUSIONS

Radioembolization with a boosted dose in patients with large HCCs may show favorable tumor response, but with considerable biliary complications.

Radioembolisation in Europe: A Survey Amongst CIRSE Members

Introduction

Radioembolisation of liver tumours demands many choices from the physician regarding planning of treatment and subsequent follow-up.

Methods

An online questionnaire was distributed amongst all members of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) to investigate the current state of radioembolisation practice.

Results

The survey was completed by 60 centres. The increasing number of radioembolisation procedures may reflect that radioembolisation is increasingly recognised as a valuable treatment option in European cancer guidelines. Imaging modalities play an important role in decision making. Furthermore, there seems to be a trend towards less coil-embolisation of non-target vessels. In addition, type of microsphere, model for dose calculation, complications and future developments are evaluated in this article.

Conclusions

This survey provides insight into the current state of radioembolisation practice across Europe.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00270-018-1982-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Yttrium-90 Selective Internal Radiation Therapy with Glass Microspheres for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current and Updated Literature Review

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver cancer and it represents the majority of cancer-related deaths in the world. More than 70% of patients present at an advanced stage, beyond potentially curative options. Ytrrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy (Y90-SIRT) with glass microspheres is rapidly gaining acceptance as a potential therapy for intermediate and advanced stage primary hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases. The technique involves delivery of Y90 infused glass microspheres via the hepatic arterial blood flow to the appropriate tumor. The liver tumor receives a highly concentrated radiation dose while sparing the healthy liver parenchyma due to its preferential blood supply from portal venous blood. There are two commercially available devices: TheraSphere® and SIR-Spheres®. Although, Y90-SIRT with glass microspheres improves median survival in patients with intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and has the potential to downstage hepatocellular carcinoma so that the selected candidates meet the transplantable criteria, it has not gained widespread acceptance due to the lack of large randomized controlled trials. Currently, there are various clinical trials investigating the use of Y90-SIRT with glass microspheres for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and the outcomes of these trials may result in the incorporation of Y90-SIRT with glass microspheres into the treatment guidelines as a standard therapy option for patients with intermediate and advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

Anatomic variants of arteries often coil-occluded prior to hepatic radioembolization

BACKGROUND

Prior to radioembolization (RE) treatment of malignant liver lesions, many interventionalists occlude the right gastric artery (RGA), the cystic artery (CA), and the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) to prevent radioactive microspheres from entering non-target vessels.

PURPOSE

To systematically analyze anatomic variants of arteries that are important to know for the interventional radiologist performing RE of the liver.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The computed tomography (CT) angiographies and conventional angiographies of 166 patients evaluated for RE were retrospectively analyzed for the presence of anatomic variants of the RGA, GDA, and CA.

RESULTS

The RGA was found to arise from the left hepatic artery in 42% of cases, from the proper hepatic artery in 40%, from the GDA in 10%, from the right hepatic artery in 4%, and from the common hepatic artery in 3% of cases. The GDA originated in the common hepatic artery in 97% of cases, in the left hepatic artery in 2%, and in the celiac trunk in 1% of cases. The CA arose from the right hepatic artery in 96% of cases and from the GDA in 2% of cases; in 2% of our study population, the gallbladder was supplied by small branches from the liver parenchyma.

CONCLUSION

Variant anatomy of the RGA is common, while it is quite rare for the GDA and CA. Knowledge of the variations of liver supplying arteries helps the interventionalist to embolize necessary vessels prior to RE.

Safe and Successful Yttrium-90 Resin Microsphere Radioembolization in a Heavily Pretreated Patient with Chemorefractory Colorectal Liver Metastases after Biliary Stent Placement above the Papilla

We report a case of safe and successful yttrium-90 resin microsphere radioembolization in a patient with a long history of multiple recurrent colon cancer hepatic metastases progressing after hepatic resections, hepatic arterial chemotherapy, and multiple regimens of systemic chemotherapy. One month prior to radioembolization, a biliary stent was placed above the level of the ampulla to relieve tumor-related biliary obstruction and normalize bilirubin levels.

Selective internal radiation therapy of hepatic tumors: procedural implications of a patent hepatic falciform artery

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) using 90-yttrium is a local therapy for unresectable liver malignancies. Non-targeted 90-yttrium diversion via a patent hepatic falciform artery (HFA) is seen as risk for periprocedural complications. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of a patent HFA on SIRT. 606 patients with SIRT between 2006 and 2012 were evaluated retrospectively. SIRT preparation was performed by digital subtraction angiography including ^99mTc-HSAM administration and subsequent SPECT/CT. Patients with an angiographically patent HFA were analyzed for procedural consequences and complications. 19 of 606 patients (3%) with an angiographically patent HFA were identified. Only 11 of these 19 patients received 90-yttrium in the hepatic vessel bed containing the HFA. Initial coil embolization of the HFA succeeded only in three of 11 patients. Out of the eight remaining patients four had no abdominal wall ^99mTc-HSAM accumulation. The other four patients presented with an abdominal wall ^99mTc-HSAM accumulation, for those a reattempt of HFA embolization was performed or ice packs were administered on the abdominal wall during SIRT. In summary, all patients tolerated SIRT well. A patent HFA should not be considered a SIRT contraindication. In patients with abdominal wall ^99mTc-HSAM accumulation HFA embolization or ice pack administration seems to prevent complications.

Selective internal radiation therapy of hepatic tumours: is coiling of the gastroduodenal artery always beneficial?

AIM

To assess the effect of gastroduodenal artery (GDA) occlusion prior to selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with regards to arterial hepato-intestinal collateralization (HIC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Six hundred and six patients were scheduled for SIRT between 2006 and 2012 at University Hospital Essen, Germany. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) followed by administration of 99m-technetium labelled human serum albumin microspheres ((99m)Tc-HSAM) and single-photon emission computed tomography combined with computed tomography (SPECT/CT) was initially performed. Depending on vascular anatomy and hepatic tumour load, GDA coil embolization was considered. In subsequent (99m)Tc-HSAM rescans or therapeutic DSA, HIC and its consequences for SIRT were analysed.

RESULTS

The GDA was occluded in 86 of 606 patients (14%). Twenty-two of these 86 patients did not undergo SIRT due to the patients' clinical status or SIRT contraindications. In 28 of the remaining 64 patients, newly apparent or reopened HIC were seen either at the site of the proximal GDA (n = 21) or in the periphery of the hepatic arteries (n = 7). In 25 of these 28 patients, the HIC could be occluded or the catheter position could be changed achieving a safe (90)Y application. However, due to the newly visible HIC in three of 28 patients, SIRT was regarded as unsafe and was abandoned.

CONCLUSION

Coil embolization of the GDA may induce arterial hepato-intestinal collaterals. Although most of these collaterals do not impede (90)Y administration, SIRT may become unfeasible in specific occasions. Hence, segmental or lobar SIRT instead of a whole-liver approach with coiling of the GDA is recommended.

The origin of the cystic artery supplying hepatocellular carcinoma on digital subtraction angiography in 311 patients

PURPOSE

This study was designed to investigate the prevalence and patterns of origin of the cystic artery using selective angiography images obtained during chemoembolization.

METHODS

Between March 2007 and January 2012, 326 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma supplied by the cystic artery were treated by chemoembolization through the cystic artery. Fifteen patients were excluded due to the difficulty in determining the origin of their cystic arteries. Thus, a total of 311 patients were included in this study. Digital subtraction angiography images were reviewed retrospectively by consensus.

RESULTS

A total of 112 (36 %) patients had a total of 121 variant hepatic arteries. Double cystic arteries were present in 46 (14.8 %) patients, and total 357 cystic arteries were observed. The origin sites of the cystic artery were the following: the right hepatic artery (n = 248), the anterior sectional artery (n = 44), the segment IV artery (n = 21), the posterior sectional artery (n = 10), the left hepatic artery (n = 8), the proper hepatic artery (n = 8), the gastroduodenal artery (n = 4), and others (n = 14). In total, 103 (33 %) patients had at least one cystic artery arising from arteries other than the right hepatic artery. In patients with right hepatic artery variations, the cystic artery more frequently originated from arteries other than the right hepatic artery (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

The most and second most common origins of the cystic artery are the right hepatic artery and the anterior sectional artery. In addition, the origin site of the cystic arteries is influenced by variations of hepatic arteries.

Detection and classification of different liver lesions: comparison of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI versus multiphasic spiral CT in a clinical single centre investigation

OBJECTIVE

To compare the diagnostic efficacy of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) vs. multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for the detection and classification of focal liver lesions, differentiated also for lesion entity and size; a separate analysis of pre- and postcontrast images as well as T2-weighted MRI sequences of focal and exclusively solid lesions was integrated.

METHODS

Twenty-nine patients with 130 focal liver lesions underwent MDCT (64-detector-row; contrast medium iopromide; native, arterial, portalvenous, venous phase) and MRI (1.5-T; dynamic and tissue-specific phase 20 min after application of Gd-EOB-DTPA). Hepatic lesions were verified against a standard of reference (SOR). CT and MR images were independently analysed by four blinded radiologists on an ordinal 6-point-scale, determining lesion classification and diagnostic confidence.

RESULTS

Among 130 lesions, 68 were classified as malignant and 62 as benign by SOR. The detection of malignant and benign lesions differed significantly between combined and postcontrast MRI vs. MDCT; overall detection rate was 91.5% for combined MRI and 80.4% for combined MDCT (p<0.05). Considering all four readers together, combined MDCT achieved sensitivity of 66.2%, specificity of 79.0%, and diagnostic accuracy of 72.3%; combined MRI reached superior diagnostic efficacy: sensitivity 86.8%, specificity 94.4%, accuracy 90.4% (p<0.05). Differentiated for lesion size, in particular lesions <20mm revealed diagnostic benefit by MRI. Postcontrast MRI also achieved higher overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy compared to postcontrast MDCT for focal and exclusively solid liver lesions (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Combined and postcontrast Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI provided significantly higher overall detection rate and diagnostic accuracy, including low inter-observer variability, compared to MDCT in a single centre study.

Trends in utilization of transarterial treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma: results of a survey by the Italian Society of Interventional Radiology

PURPOSE

This study was designed to provide an overview of the practice of locoregional treatments for HCC by the Italian centers of Interventional Radiology (IR) with particular reference to transarterial modalities.

METHODS

A questionnaire of 11 questions on locoregional treatment of HCC was e-mailed to 134 Italian IR centers.

RESULTS

The response rate was 64.9% (87/135 centers). Of 8,959 procedures in 2011, 67% were transarterial treatments, 31% percutaneous ablations, and 2% Y90-radioembolizations. Regarding (chemo)embolization, approximately 59% of procedures were performed in the intermediate stage, 28% in the early stage, and 12.8% in the advanced stage. TACE techniques varied greatly; approximately 52% of procedures were performed with drug-eluting particles and 32% with lipiodol, drug, and reabsorbable particles. In selected cases, 53 of 78 (68%) centers combine chemoembolization and ablation, whereas 28 centers (35.9%) combine Sorafenib and chemoembolization. In 2011, 13 of 78 (16.7%) responding centers performed Y90-radioembolization, with approximately 52% of procedures performed in the advanced stage and 46% in the intermediate stage. Approximately 62% of Y90-radioembolizations were performed using resin spheres and 38% using glass spheres.

CONCLUSIONS

With almost 9,000 procedures performed each year, locoregional treatments of HCC, most of all transarterial (chemo)embolizations, represent a major part of daily clinical practice in many Italian IR centers. The high variability in responses regarding transarterial treatments for HCC patients highlights the need for solid scientific evidence allowing better definition of clinical indications and standardization of technical approaches.