Contemporary Techniques and Applications of Radioembolization in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Review of Use of Y90 as a Bridge to Liver Resection and Transplantation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been rising, and 80% of HCCs are unresectable at the time of presentation. In recent years, Yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization has arisen as a potential tool to treat the primary HCC tumor while also inducing contralateral liver hypertrophy to increase future liver remnant volumes. The goal of this multidisciplinary review is to summarize the contemporary evidence on the safety, efficacy, and utility of Y90 as a bridge to liver resection and transplant in patients with HCC.

METHODS

A narrative review was conducted of the recent literature regarding the utilization of Y90 as a therapy prior to liver resection or transplant in patients with HCC. A specific emphasis was placed on articles published in the last 10 years.

RESULTS

Y90 radioembolization has demonstrated a high safety profile and increasing utility in bridging and downstaging patients with HCC who subsequently undergo liver resection or transplant. The continuous advancements in treatment strategies and radiation dosimetry have paved the way for the incorporation of Y90 in all stages of HCC with different intents, including downstaging and bridging.

CONCLUSIONS

Y90 radioembolization can be safely used in the HCC population to bridge patients to resection or transplantation, induce future liver remnant growth, and select for less aggressive tumor biology prior to surgery.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Liver Radioembolization: A Review

Yttrium-90 radioembolization (RE) is a widely used transcatheter intraarterial therapy for patients with unresectable liver cancer. In the last decade, computer simulations of hepatic artery hemodynamics during RE have been performed with the aim of better understanding and improving the therapy. In this review, we introduce the concept of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling with a clinical perspective and we review the CFD models used to study RE from the fluid mechanics point of view. Finally, we show what CFD simulations have taught us about the hemodynamics during RE, the current capabilities of CFD simulations of RE, and we suggest some future perspectives.