Hepatic radioembolization with Yttrium-90 glass microspheres for treatment of primary liver cancer

Abstract

Objective: To study the clinical results of hepatic radioembolization with Yttrium-90 (90Y) glass microspheres in the treatment of primary liver cancer.

Methods: Seventeen patients with liver cancer were treated with glass microspheres from August 1996 to May 1998. Hepatic radioembolization with 90Y and lipiodol-ultrafluid was used. Percutaneous port-catheter system (PCS) implantations via femoral artery were performed in 12 patients.

Results: In the 17 patients, their mean ratio of absorbed doses between tumor and normal liver was 2.4:1. CT showed a significant reduction in tumor size in 11 of the 17 patients. Average survival was 19.5 months. The indwelling catheters of all the 12 patients were patent and no catheter tip locations were found.

Conclusions: 90Y glass microsphere is one of the best radioisotopes. Not only good responses to the therapy of 90Y glass microspheres can be achieved in patients with metastatic liver cancer, but also in those with primary liver cancer, specially the localized or hypervascular mass. The patients with massive arterioportal shunt should not be limited to this form of radiation therapy. The percutaneous PCS implantation via the femoral artery is a new passageway for the treatment of primary liver cancer with 90Y glass microspheres and other interventional therapy.