Pathologic Response of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Yttrium-90 Glass Microsphere Radiation Segmentectomy Prior to Liver Transplantation: A Validation Study

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the pathologic outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with Yttrium-90 radiation segmentectomy using glass microspheres prior to liver transplantation and explore parameters associated with pathologic necrosis.

Materials and methods: A single-institution retrospective analysis of HCC patients who received radiation segmentectomy prior to liver transplantation from November 2016 to May 2020 was performed. Patients were included if the treatment angiosome encompassed the entire tumor and could be correlated with available gross pathology. Archived histology slides were reviewed for percentage of pathologic necrosis. Thirty-three patients with 37 tumors were evaluated. The median tumor size was 2.3 cm (range, 1-6.7 cm).

Results: All tumors received a single treatment. The median time from radiation segmentectomy to transplantation was 206 days (range, 58-550 days). Objective response per Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) was 92% (complete response, 76%; partial response, 16%). A total of 68% (n = 25) of tumors demonstrated ≥99% pathologic necrosis. Complete pathologic necrosis was present in 53% and 75% of tumors treated with >190 Gy (n = 18) and >500 Gy (n = 8) single-compartment Medical Internal Radiation Dose, respectively. Complete response per mRECIST, posttreatment angiosome T1 hypointensity, dose >190 Gy, microsphere specific activity >297 Bq, and a longer time between treatment and transplant were associated with ≥99% tumor necrosis (P < .05). No posttransplant tumor recurrences occurred within a median follow-up of 604 days (range, 138-1,223 days).

Conclusions: Radiation segmentectomy can serve as an ablative modality for the treatment of HCC prior to liver transplant.