Tumor Growth Rate to Predict the Outcome of Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors: Performance and Sources of Variability.

INTRODUCTION: Tumor growth rate (TGR), percentage of change in tumor volume/month, has been previously identified as an early radiological biomarker for treatment monitoring in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients. We assessed the performance and reproducibility of TGR at 3 months (TGR3m) as a predictor factor of progression-free survival (PFS), including the impact of imaging method and reader variability. METHODS: Baseline and 3-month (±1 month) CT/MRI images from patients with advanced, grade 1-2 NETs were retrospectively reviewed by 2 readers. Influence of number of targets, tumor burden, and location of lesion on the performance of TGR3m to predict PFS was assessed by uni/multivariable Cox regression analysis. Agreement between readers was assessed by Lin's concordance coefficient (LCC) and kappa coefficient (KC). RESULTS: A total of 790 lesions were measured in 222 patients. Median PFS was 22.9 months. On univariable analysis, number of lesions (

Value of Tumor Growth Rate (TGR) as an Early Biomarker Predictor of Patients' Outcome in Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET)-The GREPONET Study.

INTRODUCTION: Tumor growth rate (TGR; percent size change per month [%/m]) is postulated to be an early radiological biomarker to overcome limitations of RECIST. This study aimed to assess the impact of TGR in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and potential clinical and therapeutic applications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (pts) with advanced grade (G) 1/2 NETs from the pancreas or small bowel initiating systemic treatment (ST) or watch and wait (WW) were eligible. Baseline and follow-up scans were retrospectively reviewed to calculate TGR at pretreatment (TGR0), first follow-up (TGRfirst), and 3(±1) months of study entry (TGR3m). RESULTS: Out of 905 pts screened, 222 were eligible. Best TGRfirst (222 pts) cutoff was 0.8 (area under the curve, 0.74). When applied to TGR3m (103 pts), pts with TGR3m <0.8 (66.9%) versus TGR3m ≥ 0.8 (33.1%) had longer median progression-free survival (PFS; 26.3 m; 95% confidence interval [CI] 19.5-32.4 vs. 9.3 m; 95% CI, 6.1-22.9) and lower progression rate at 12 months (7.3% vs. 56.8%; p = .001). WW (vs. ST) and TGR3m ≥ 0.8 (hazard ratio [HR], 3.75; 95% CI, 2.21-6.34; p < .001) were retained as factors associated with a shorter PFS in multivariable Cox regression. TGR3m (HR, 3.62; 95% CI, 1.97-6.64; p < .001) was also an independent factor related to shorter PFS when analysis was limited to pts with stable disease (81 pts). Out of the 60 pts with TGR0 data available, 60% of pts had TGR0 < 4%/month. TGR0 ≥ 4 %/month (HR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.15-4.31; p = .018) was also an independent factor related to shorter PFS. CONCLUSION: TGR is an early radiological biomarker able to predict PFS and to identify patients with advanced NETs who may require closer radiological follow-up. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Tumor growth rate at 3 months (TGR3m) is an early radiological biomarker able to predict progression-free survival and to identify patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors who may require closer radiological follow-up. It is feasible to calculate TGR3m in clinical practice and it could be a useful tool for guiding patient management. This biomarker could also be implemented in future clinical trials to assess response to therapy.

Update on Treatment Options for Advanced Bile Duct Tumours: Radioembolisation for Advanced Cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare form of gastrointestinal cancer with a poor prognosis. Patients often present with biliary obstruction or non-specific abdominal pain, and a high proportion of patients have advanced disease at initial diagnosis. The goal of this review is to discuss treatment options for patients with advanced bile duct tumours focusing on radioembolisation (RE) and its impact on overall survival. RE provides a therapeutic option for patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. However, although systemic chemotherapy has demonstrated a survival benefit in randomised controlled trials, there is limited supporting evidence for the use of RE in this setting. Studies are mostly limited to single-centre, small cohorts with variable outcome measures. Additionally, patients included in these studies received a variety of previous therapies including chemotherapy, surgery or alternative intra-arterial therapy; therefore, a true assessment of overall survival benefit is difficult.

Ambulatory Same-Day Map-and-Treat Angiography for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy Using a Transradial Approach.

Historically, selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with yttrium-90 (Y-90) requires a two-week interval between workup and treatment (map and treat). The intervening gap between workup and treatment is used to plan for the dose required and obtain delivery of the radioactive Y-90. During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the delivery of a robust SIRT service was challenging due to unprecedented demands on all hospital services. Emergent practice changes were required to ensure this service could still be delivered to patients while retaining sufficient inpatient hospital beds and services for acutely unwell patients. In response to this, the interventional radiology team proposed the retention of a full SIRT service by removing the historical two-week interval between map and treat, delivering both components of the SIRT procedure on the same day. A traditional approach using femoral access would require a prolonged period of immobility and potentially an overnight stay. By adopting a transradial approach without sedo-analgesia, an ambulatory day-case map and treat SIRT with no post-procedure immobilisation was performed. This case report demonstrates the technical feasibility of same-day 'map-and-treat' SIRT, highlighting a paradigm shift from the conventional femoral access method and immobilisation to an 'ambulatory' approach with immediate mobilisation post-procedure.

Anomalous Branch of the Left Hepatic Artery With Pericardial, Diaphragmatic, Splenic and Gastric Supply During Selective Internal Radiotherapy (SIRT).

Selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) is an established modality for the treatment of hepatic malignancy. The procedure is normally carried out in two parts. The first part involves a planning or "work-up" angiogram to delineate anatomy and plan safe yttrium-90 (Y90) delivery, and the second part for the administration of the Y90 microspheres. The work-up angiogram has three main purposes including delineation of hepatic and tumor vascular anatomy, which might influence the administration of the microbeads, identification, and embolization of blood vessels, which may complicate treatment or contribute to non-target Y90 microsphere deposition and administration of technetium 99 (metastable) labeled macroaggregated albumin (99mTcMAA) at the planned administration points prior to the same day single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or planar SPECT to identify sites of 99mTcMAA uptake. We present the case of a SIRT procedure that demonstrated an anomalous artery arising from the left hepatic artery with supply to the pericardium, diaphragm, fundus of the stomach, and spleen. This is a rare vascular variant that highlights the importance of thorough assessment of both the planning angiograms and SPECT CT for the presence of anatomical variants and abnormal extrahepatic 99mTcMAA uptake to help reduce the need to recall patients for repeat work-up procedures.

Radial Artery Access for Hepatic Chemosaturation: The First Description of Technical Feasibility.

Chemosaturation with percutaneous hepatic perfusion (CS-PHP; Hepatic CHEMOSAT® Delivery System, Delcath Systems Inc, Wilmington, Delaware) is an interventional radiology procedure that delivers high doses of melphalan, a chemotherapeutic agent, directly to the liver in patients with unresectable primary and secondary liver tumours. Traditionally, CS-PHP is delivered by arterial access via the femoral artery. However, there can be many risks and adverse effects associated with femoral artery punctures, such as retroperitoneal haemorrhage and haematoma formation. The monitoring and bed rest required following the removal of a femoral arterial catheter may also cause significant distress to patients as they remain immobile, potentially prolonging their stay in hospital. The radial artery is an alternative access point, with fewer reported adverse events and increased patient tolerance when compared with femoral access. This case report details the first reported use of Hepatic CHEMOSAT® therapy being delivered via the radial artery. Two patients received hepatic chemosaturation with no reported complications. This report demonstrates that access via the radial artery is a feasible alternative for the delivery of chemotherapy, which may reduce morbidity and the risks usually associated with femoral access.

Safety and Efficacy of Venting Gastrostomy in Malignant Bowel Obstruction: A Systematic Review.

Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) is a common manifestation in patients with advanced intra-abdominal malignancy. It is especially common with bowel or gynecological cancers and produces distressing symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and pain. Medical management options are less effective than decompressive strategies for symptom control. Surgery is the gold-standard treatment but is unsuitable for most patients with high complication rates. Consensus guidelines recommend nonsurgical management with a venting gastrostomy in those unsuitable for surgery or for whom medical management is ineffective. The aim of this systematic review is to establish the safety and efficacy of percutaneous venting gastrostomy in relieving symptoms of MBO. Twenty-five studies were included in this review comprising 1194 patients. Gastrostomy insertion was successful at first attempt in 91% of cases and reduction in symptoms of nausea and vomiting was reported in 92% of cases. Mean survival following the procedure ranged from 35 to 147 days. Major complications were rare, with most complications classed as minor wound infections or leakage of fluid around the tube. Studies suggest that the presence of ascites is not an absolute contraindication to the insertion of percutaneous venting gastrostomy in patients with MBO; however, these studies lack longitudinal outcomes and complication rates related to this. However, it is reasonable to suggest that ascitic drainage is performed to reduce potential complications. There is a relative lack of good quality robust data on the utilization of percutaneous venting gastrostomy in MBO, but overall, the combination of being a safe and efficacious procedure alongside the known complication profile suggests that it should be considered a suitable management option.

Tumor Growth Rate as a Validated Early Radiological Biomarker Able to Reflect Treatment-Induced Changes in Neuroendocrine Tumors: The GREPONET-2 Study.

PURPOSE: Tumor growth rate (TGR) represents the percentage change in tumor volume per month (%/m). Previous results from the GREPONET study showed that TGR measured after 3 months (TGR3m) of starting systemic treatment (ST) or watch and wait (WW) was an early biomarker predicting progression-free survival (PFS) in neuroendocrine tumors (NET). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients from 7 centers with advanced grade (G) 1/2 NETs from the pancreas (P)/small bowel (SB) initiating ST/WW were eligible. Computed tomography (CT)/MRI performed at prebaseline, baseline, and 3(±1) months of study entry were retrospectively reviewed. Aim-1: explore treatment-induced changes in TGR (ΔTGR3m-BL; paired T test), and Aim-2: validate TGR3m (<0.8%/m vs. ≥0.8%/m) as an early biomarker in an independent cohort (Kaplan-Meier/Cox regression). RESULTS: Of 785 patients screened, 127 were eligible. Mean (SD) TGR0 and TGR3m were 5.4%/m (14.9) and -1.4%/m (11.8), respectively. Mean (SD) ΔTGR3m-BL paired-difference was -6.8%/m (19.3; P < 0.001). Most marked ΔTGR3m-BL [mean (SD)] were identified with targeted therapies [-11.3%/m (4.7); P = 0.0237] and chemotherapy [-7.9%/m (3.4); P = 0.0261]. Multivariable analysis confirmed the absence of previous treatment (OR = 4.65; 95% CI, 1.31-16.52; P = 0.018) and low TGR3m (continuous variable; OR 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.19; P = 0.042) to be independent predictors of radiologic objective response. When the multivariable survival analysis for PFS (Cox regression) was adjusted to grade (P = 0.004) and stage (P = 0.017), TGR3m ≥ 0.8 (vs. <0.8) maintained its significance as a prognostic factor (P < 0.001), whereas TGR0 and ΔTGR3m-BL did not. TGR3m ≥ 0.8%/m was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor for PFS [external validation; Aim-2; multivariable HR 2.21 (95% CI, 1.21-3.70; P = 0.003)]. CONCLUSIONS: TGR has a role as a biomarker for monitoring response to therapy for early identification of treatment-induced changes and for early prediction of PFS and radiologic objective response.