Efficacy and Safety of Radiation Segmentectomy with 90Y Resin Microspheres for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background Limited data are available on radiation segmentectomy (RS) for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using yttrium 90 (90Y) resin microsphere doses determined by using a single-compartment medical internal radiation dosimetry (MIRD) model. Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of RS treatment of HCC with 90Y resin microspheres using a single-compartment MIRD model and correlate posttreatment dose with outcomes. Materials and Methods This retrospective single-center study included adult patients with HCC who underwent RS with 90Y resin microspheres between July 2014 and December 2022. Posttreatment PET/CT and dosimetry were performed. Adverse events were assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 5.0. Per-lesion and overall response rates (ie, complete response [CR], objective response, disease control, and duration of response) were assessed at imaging using the Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, and overall survival (OS) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results Among 67 patients (median age, 69 years [IQR, 63-78 years]; 54 male patients) with HCC, median tumor absorbed dose was 232 Gy (IQR, 163-405 Gy). At 3 months, per-lesion and overall (per-patient) CR was achieved in 47 (70%) and 41 (61%) of 67 patients, respectively. At 6 months (n = 46), per-lesion rates of objective response and disease control were both 94%, and per-patient rates were both 78%. A total of 88% (95% CI: 79 99) and 72% (95% CI: 58, 90) of patients had a per-lesion and overall duration of response of 1 year or greater. At 1 month, a grade 3 clinical adverse event (abdominal pain) occurred in one of 67 (1.5%) patients. Median posttreatment OS was 26 months (95% CI: 20, not reached). Disease progression at 2 years was lower in the group that received 300 Gy or more than in the group that received less than 300 Gy (17% vs 61%; P = .047), with no local progression in the former group through the end of follow-up. Conclusion Among patients with HCC who underwent RS with 90Y resin microspheres, 88% and 72% achieved a per-lesion and overall duration of response of 1 year or greater, respectively, with one grade 3 adverse event. In patients whose tumors received 300 Gy or more according to posttreatment dosimetry, a disease progression benefit was noted. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Association between Patient Experience Scores and Low Utilization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment in the United States: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Analysis (SEER-CAHPS).

PURPOSE: To study the experiences of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) contributing to treatment discrepancy in the United States. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data from National Cancer Institute (NCI), Medicare (2002-2015) beneficiaries with HCC who completed a Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey were included. Six CAHPS items (3 global scores: global care rating [GCR], primary doctor rating [PDR], and specialist rating [SR]; 3 composite scores: getting needed care [GNC], getting care quickly [GCQ], and doctor communication [DC]) assessed patient experience. Covariates assessed between treated and nontreated groups included patient, disease, hospital, and CAHPS items. RESULTS: Among 548 patients with HCC, 211 (39%) received treatment and 337 (61%) did not receive treatment. Forty-two percent (GCR), 29% (PDR), 30% (SR), 36% (GNC), 78% (GCQ), and 35% (DC) of patients reported less-than-excellent experiences on the respective CAHPS items. Chronic liver disease (CLD) was present in 52% and liver decompensation (LD) in 60%. A minority of the hospitals were NCI-designated cancer centers (47%), transplant centers (27%), and referral centers (9%). On univariable analysis, patients with at least a high school degree (odds ratio [OR], 1.9), admittance to a ≥400-bed hospital (OR, 2.7), CLD (OR, 3.0), or LD (OR, 1.7) were more likely to receive treatment, whereas older patients (≥75 years) (OR, 0.5) were less likely to receive treatment. On multivariable, patients with CLD (OR, 6.8) and an excellent experience in GNC with a specialist (OR, 10.6) were more likely to receive treatment. CONCLUSIONS: HCC treatment discrepancy may be associated with patient-related factors, such as lack of specialist care (GNC), and disease-related factors, such as absence of underlying CLD.

Evaluation of Technical Performance of Ultrasound-Guided Procedures through Hand Motion Analysis: An Exploration of Motion Metrics.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ability of hand motion analysis using conventional and new motion metrics to differentiate between operators of varying levels of experience for central venous access (CVA) and liver biopsy (LB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the CVA task, 7 interventional radiologists (experts), 10 senior trainees, and 5 junior trainees performed ultrasound-guided CVA on a standardized manikin; 5 trainees were retested after 1 year. In the LB task, 4 radiologists (experts) and 7 trainees biopsied a lesion on a manikin. Conventional motion metrics (path length and task time), a refined metric (translational movements), and new metrics (rotational sum and rotational movements) were calculated. RESULTS: In the CVA task, experts outperformed trainees on all metrics (P < .02). Senior trainees required fewer rotational movements (P = .02), translational movements (P = .045), and time (P = .001) than junior trainees. Similarly, on 1-year follow-up, trainees had fewer translational (P = .02) and rotational (P = .003) movements with less task time (P = .003). The path length and rotational sum were not different between junior and senior trainees or for trainees on follow-up. Rotational and translational movements had greater area under the curve values (0.91 and 0.86, respectively) than the rotational sum (0.73) and path length (0.61). In the LB task, experts performed the task with a shorter path length (P = .04), fewer translational (P = .04) and rotational (P = .02) movements, and less time (P < .001) relative to the trainees. CONCLUSIONS: Hand motion analysis using translational and rotational movements was better at differentiating levels of experience and improvement with training than the conventional metric of path length.

Neoadjuvant Yttrium-90 Transarterial Radioembolization with Resin Microspheres Prescribed Using the Medical Internal Radiation Dose Model for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate outcomes of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) undergoing neoadjuvant yttrium-90 (90Y) transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with resin microspheres prescribed using the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective institutional review board-approved study included 37 patients with iCCA treated with 90Y-TARE from October 2015 to September 2020. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) from 90Y-TARE. The secondary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors 1.1 imaging response, and downstaging to resection. Patients with tumor proximity to the middle hepatic vein (<1 cm) and/or insufficient future liver remnant were treated with neoadjuvant intent (n = 21). Patients were censored at the time of surgery or at the last follow-up for the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: For 31 patients (69 years; interquartile range, 64-74 years; 20 men [65%]) included in the study, the first-line therapy was 90Y-TARE for 23 (74%) patients. Imaging assessment at 6 months showed a disease control rate of 86%. The median PFS was 5.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 3-not reached). The PFS was higher after first-line 90Y-TARE (7.4 months [95% CI, 5.3-not reached]) than that after subsequent 90Y-TARE (2.7 months [95% CI, 2-not reached]) (P = .007). The median OS was 22 months (95% CI, 7.3-not reached). The 1- and 2-year OS rates were 60% (95% CI, 41%-86%) and 40% (95% CI, 19.5%-81%). In patients treated with neoadjuvant intent, 11 of 21 patients (52%) underwent resections. The resection margins were R0 and R1 in 8 (73%) and 3 (27%) of 11 patients, respectively. On histological review in 10 patients, necrosis of ≥90% tumor was achieved in 7 of 10 patients (70%). CONCLUSIONS: First-line 90Y-TARE prescribed using the MIRD model as neoadjuvant therapy for iCCA results in good survival outcome and R0 resection for unresectable patients.

Yttrium-90 radioembolization using MIRD dosimetry with resin microspheres.

OBJECTIVE: To review the technical feasibility of resin microsphere (SIR-Spheres®) yttrium-90 radioembolization prescribed using the medical internal radiation dose (MIRD) model. METHODS: All radioembolization procedures for hepatic malignancies using resin microspheres with MIRD model between November 2015 and February 2019 were included in this IRB-approved study (n = 60). Student's T test was used to compare prescribed activity based on MIRD and BSA models. Adverse events were assessed immediately, 30 days, and 6 months post-treatment. RESULTS: Sixty radioembolizations were performed in 54 patients (age 68 ± 9 years, 48-87 years, 35% female). Mean prescribed activity calculated by the MIRD model (target absorbed dose 120-200 Gy for primary and 80-200 Gy for metastatic liver cancers) was 1.7 GBq (0.3-6.4) compared with 0.6 GBq (0.12-2.1) if BSA had been used (p < 0.0001). The prescribed activity was successfully delivered in 93% (56/60) treatments. Prophylactic embolization and anti-reflux catheters were used in 20% (12/60) and 5% (3/60) treatments, respectively. No immediate post-procedural complications occurred. Abdominal pain was the most common clinical Grade 3 CTCAE in 30 days (10%) and 6 months (12%). Radiation pneumonitis occurred in 3 (5%) patients but no radiation-induced gastric ulcer or radiation-induced liver disease occurred. CONCLUSION: MIRD dosimetry results in higher prescribed activity compared with BSA dosimetry with resin microspheres. MIRD prescribed activity with target absorbed doses up to 200 Gy can be successfully administered without prophylactic embolization in selected patients. KEY POINTS: •MIRD dosimetry results in higher prescribed activity compared with BSA dosimetry for radioembolization. •MIRD dosimetry can be used for yttrium-90 resin microsphere radioembolization with acceptable safety profile.

Extrahepatic transarterial radioembolization to treat fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report.

Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC) is a rare primary liver tumor that typically presents at an advanced stage in early adolescents and adults with no underlying liver disease. Surgical resection is the first-line treatment, and patients who are not surgical candidates face limited treatment options with poor long-term outcomes. Herein we report the first documented, technically successful treatment of FL-HCC with extrahepatic spread using transarterial radioembolization (TARE) in a 16-year-old male patient with surgically unresectable disease. Subsequent imaging revealed tumor necrosis and a 20% reduction in size, and the patient survived 20 months post-treatment, a marked improvement relative to historical data in the literature. Further research should examine the potential role of yttrium-90 TARE in the treatment of FL-HCC patients with metastatic disease.

Causes and Rates of 30-day Readmissions after Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage Procedure.

Purpose To investigate rates and causes of 30-day readmission for patients who undergo percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) procedures. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, PTBD procedures performed at a tertiary care institution (June 2008 to May 2013) were reviewed. For each patient, the first 30-day readmission was used to determine cause of readmission. Two interventional radiologists independently categorized causes for readmission as planned or unplanned, and unplanned causes as related to or unrelated to interventional radiology. Interventional radiology-related readmissions were categorized as potentially preventable or unpreventable. Factors associated with higher odds for 30-day readmission were identified with univariable and multivariable analysis. Results There were 266 procedures in 266 patients (mean age, 67 years; interquartile range, 57-76 years; 53.4% men). The cause of obstruction was malignant in 50.0% of patients (133 of 266). There were 122 of 266 patients (45.9%) readmitted within 30 days. Of these readmissions, 44 of 122 (36.1%) were planned and 78 of 122 (63.9%) were unplanned. A majority of unplanned readmissions (57 of 78; 73%) were related to interventional radiology. Of unplanned interventional radiology-related readmissions, 16% (nine of 57) were related to periprocedural complications and 51% (29 of 57) were considered preventable. At multivariable analysis, Medicaid insurance (odds ratio, 3.68; 95% confidence interval: 1.52, 9.99; P = .009) and bilateral PTBDs (odds ratio, 5.81; 95% confidence interval: 1.79, 18.90; P = .003) were associated with 30-day readmission. Conclusion Thirty-day readmissions after primary biliary drainage are common and a majority of unplanned readmissions are drain-related. Nearly half of unplanned interventional radiology-related readmissions are potentially preventable. © RSNA, 2018 See also the editorial by Nikolic in this issue.

Primary Stent Placement for Hepatic Artery Stenosis After Liver Transplantation: Improving Primary Patency and Reintervention Rates.

Recent studies have reported high rates of reintervention after primary stenting for hepatic artery stenosis (HAS) due to the loss of primary patency. The aims of this study were to evaluate the outcomes of primary stenting after HAS in a large cohort with longterm follow-up. After institutional review board approval, all patients undergoing liver transplantation between 2003 and 2017 at a single institution were evaluated for occurrence of hepatic artery complications. HAS occurred in 37/454 (8%) of patients. HAS was defined as >50% stenosis on computed tomography or digital subtraction angiography. Hepatic arterial patency and graft survival were evaluated at annual intervals. Primary patency was defined as the time from revascularization to imaging evidence of new HAS or reaching a censored event (retransplantation, death, loss to follow-up, or end of study period). Primary stenting was attempted in 30 patients (17 female, 57%; median age, 51 years; range, 24-68 years). Surgical repair of HAS prior to stenting was attempted in 5/30 (17%) patients. Endovascular treatment was performed within 1 week of the primary anastomosis in 5/30 (17%) of patients. Technical success was accomplished in 97% (29/30) of patients. Primary patency was 90% at 1 year and remained unchanged throughout the remaining follow-up period (median, 41 months; interquartile range [IQR], 25-86 months). Reintervention was required in 3 patients to maintain stent patency. The median time period between primary stenting and retreatment was 5.9 months (IQR, 4.4-11.1 months). There were no major complications, and no patient developed hepatic arterial thrombosis or required listing for retransplantation or retransplantation during the follow-up period. In conclusion, primary stenting for HAS has excellent longterm primary patency and low reintervention rates.

Percutaneous Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to discuss the use, comparative efficacy, and general technical considerations of percutaneous ablation, alone or in combination with other therapies, for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous ablation is a mainstay treatment for early-stage HCC, offering survival comparable to that of surgical resection for small lesions. It can act as a primary curative therapy or bridge therapy for patients waiting to undergo liver transplant. New ablation modalities and combining tumor ablation with other therapies, such as transarterial chemoembolization, can improve clinical outcomes and allow treatment of larger lesions. Combining thermal ablation with systemic chemotherapy, including immunotherapy, is an area of future development.

Percutaneous Ultrasound-Guided Cryoablation for Symptomatic Plantar Fibromas.

PURPOSE: Here, we report our experience in treating painful plantar fibromas with percutaneous cryoablation. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients with symptomatic plantar fibromas who underwent percutaneous ultrasound-guided cryoablation between June 2014 and June 2015. In total, four patients (two male, two female) with five plantar fibromas undergoing a total of seven ablation procedures were identified. Each procedure was performed under general anesthesia using a single freeze-thaw cycle. The electronic medical record, procedure reports, and pain scores from a brief pain inventory administered before and after treatment were reviewed. Average and worst pain in 24 h, and time to peak symptom improvement post-procedure were compared. Complications were reviewed using the SIR classification. RESULTS: Five plantar fibromas were treated (mean size 2.2 ± 1.6 cm). Four of five lesions were present for more than 6 years, and 1/5 was present for less than 1 year. Surgical excision was previously performed on 3/5 lesions, all with short-term recurrence. Mean worst pain score in 24 h and average pain score in 24 h (scale of 10) at initial evaluation were 7.1 ± 1.8 and 5.8 ± 1.9, reduced after cryoablation to 0.8 ± 0.8 and 0.4 ± 0.6, respectively. Average time to symptom improvement was 2.8 ± 0.98 weeks (range 2-4 weeks). All patients reported improved ambulation and weight-bearing, and complete cessation of pain medication after treatment. The improvement was sustained on follow-up at 12 months. No major complications occurred. Minor complications occurred in 3/5 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Early experience with percutaneous ultrasound-guided cryoablation to treat painful plantar fibromas suggests that it is a safe and effective treatment option, with early and near-complete symptom improvement.

Initiation of a Multidisciplinary, Rapid Response Team to Massive and Submassive Pulmonary Embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) can result in rapid clinical decompensation in many patients. With increasing patient complexity and advanced treatment options for PE, multidisciplinary, rapid response teams can optimize risk stratification and expedite management strategies. The Massive And Submassive Clot On-call Team (MASCOT) was created at our institution, which comprised specialists from cardiology, pulmonology, hematology, interventional radiology, and cardiac surgery. MASCOT offers rapid consultation 24 hours a day with a web-based conference call to review patient data and discuss management of patients with high-risk PE. We reviewed patient data collected from MASCOT's registry to analyze patient clinical characteristics and outcomes and describe the composition and operation of the team. Between August 2015 and September 2016, MASCOT evaluated 72 patients. Seventy of the 72 patients were admitted to our institution, accounting for 32% of all patients discharged with a primary diagnosis of PE. Average age was 62 ± 17 years with a female predominance (63%). Active malignancy (31%), recent surgery or trauma (21%), and recent hospitalization (24%) were common. PE clinical severity was massive in 16% and submassive in 83%. Patients were managed with anticoagulation alone in 65% (n = 46), systemic fibrinolysis in 11% (n = 8), catheter-directed therapy in 18% (n = 13), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in 3% (n = 2), and an inferior vena cava filter was placed in 15% (n = 11). Thirteen percent (n = 9) experienced a major bleed with no intracranial hemorrhage. Survival to discharge was 89% (64% with massive PE and 93% with submassive PE). In conclusion, multidisciplinary, rapid response PE teams offer a unique coordinated approach to patient care.

The Relevance of Readmissions after Common IR Procedures: Readmission Rates and Association with Early Mortality.

PURPOSE: To determine all-cause readmission rates for 12 IR procedures and association of time to readmission with risk-adjusted 90-day mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients discharged after 12 inpatient IR procedures at a tertiary-care hospital between June 2008 and May 2013 (N = 4,163) were categorized as no readmission (n = 1,479; 40.5%) or readmission between 0 and 7 (n = 379; 10.4%), 8 and 30 (n = 650; 17.8%), 31 and 60 (n = 378; 10.3%), 61 and 90 (n = 169; 4.6%), or 91 and 180 days (n = 280; 7.7%). Readmission rate ≥ 15% was considered high based on published national readmission rates for procedures. Risk-adjusted 90-day mortality for each interval was calculated for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), transjugular and percutaneous liver biopsy (TJLB, PLB), ports, inferior vena cava (IVC) filter, lower extremity angioplasty (LEA), arteriovenous fistulagrams, vascular embolization (VE), percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC), percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD), primary urinary drainage, and feeding tube placement. Covariates included age, sex, race, insurance status, and Charlson Comorbidity Index. RESULTS: All procedures had high 30-day readmission rates (15%-50.5%). Readmissions were highest for ports (50.5%), TJLB (43.4%), PTBD (38.5%), PC (31.9%), and TIPS (31.3%). Readmissions occurred most frequently 8-30 days after discharge for all procedures except VE (31-60 d; 10.6%), PC (31-60 d; 23.4%), and LEA (91-180 d; 15.1%). On multivariate analysis, 30-day readmissions for LEA (AOR 3.19; 95% CI, 1.2-8.2; P = .02), VE (AOR 10.01; 95% CI, 3.1-32.9; P < .001), IVC filter (AOR 2.98; 95% CI, 1.3-6.9; P = .01), PLB (AOR 2.86; 95% CI, 1.71-4.79; P < .001), and PCN (AOR 3.09; 95% CI, 1.29-7.37; P = .01) were associated with 90-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Inpatient IR procedures have high 30-day all-cause readmission rates, which can be associated with increased 90-day mortality. Further evaluation to determine preventable causes for readmission may impact 90-day mortality.

Trans-Splenic Portal Vein Embolization: A Technique to Avoid Damage to the Future Liver Remnant.

Portal vein embolization (PVE) induces hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR) in patients undergoing extensive hepatic resection. Portal vein access for PVE via the ipsilateral hepatic lobe (designated for resection) places veins targeted for embolization at acute angles to the access site requiring reverse curve catheters for access. This approach also involves access close to tumors in the ipsilateral lobe and requires care to avoid traversing tumor. Alternatively, a contralateral approach (through the FLR) risks damage to the FLR due to iatrogenic trauma or non-target embolization. Two patients successfully underwent PVE via trans-splenic portal vein access, allowing easy access to the ipsilateral portal veins and eliminating risk of damage to FLR. Technique and advantages of trans-splenic portal vein access to perform PVE are described.