PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the biodistribution of (super-)selective trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) with holmium-166 microspheres (166Ho-MS), when administered as... Show morePurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the biodistribution of (super-)selective trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) with holmium-166 microspheres (166Ho-MS), when administered as adjuvant therapy after RFA of HCC 2-5 cm. The objective was to establish a treatment volume absorbed dose that results in an absorbed dose of >= 120 Gy on the hyperemic zone around the ablation necrosis (i.e., target volume).MethodsIn this multicenter, prospective dose-escalation study in BCLC early stage HCC patients with lesions 2-5 cm, RFA was followed by (super-)selective infusion of 166Ho-MS on day 5-10 after RFA. Dose distribution within the treatment volume was based on SPECT-CT. Cohorts of up to 10 patients were treated with an incremental dose (60 Gy, 90 Gy, 120 Gy) of 166Ho-MS to the treatment volume. The primary endpoint was to obtain a target volume dose of >= 120 Gy in 9/10 patients within a cohort.ResultsTwelve patients were treated (male 10; median age, 66.5 years (IQR, [64.3-71.7])) with a median tumor diameter of 2.7 cm (IQR, [2.1-4.0]). At a treatment volume absorbed dose of 90 Gy, the primary endpoint was met with a median absorbed target volume dose of 138 Gy (IQR, [127-145]). No local recurrences were found within 1-year follow-up.ConclusionAdjuvant (super-)selective infusion of 166Ho-MS after RFA for the treatment of HCC can be administered safely at a dose of 90 Gy to the treatment volume while reaching a dose of >= 120 Gy to the target volume and may be a favorable adjuvant therapy for HCC lesions 2-5 cm.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT03437382. (registered: 19-02-2018) Show less
Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of ablation margin quantification using a standardized scanning protocol during thermal ablation (TA) of hepatocellular... Show morePurpose: The primary objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of ablation margin quantification using a standardized scanning protocol during thermal ablation (TA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and a rigid registration algorithm. Secondary objectives were to determine the inter- and intra-observer variability of tumor segmentation and quantification of the minimal ablation margin (MAM). Materials and methods: Twenty patients who underwent thermal ablation for HCC were included. There were thirteen men and seven women with a mean age of 67.1 +/- 10.8 (standard deviation [SD]) years (age range: 49.1-81.1 years). All patients underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography examination under general anesthesia directly before and after TA, with preoxygenated breath hold. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography examinations were analyzed by radiologists using rigid registration software. Registration was deemed feasible when accurate rigid co-registration could be obtained. Inter- and intra-observer rates of tumor segmentation and MAM quantification were calculated. MAM values were correlated with local tumor progression (LTP) after one year of follow-up. Results: Co-registration of pre- and post-ablation images was feasible in 16 out of 20 patients (80%) and 26 out of 31 tumors (84%). Mean Dice similarity coefficient for inter- and intra-observer variability of tumor segmentation were 0.815 and 0.830, respectively. Mean MAM was 0.63 +/- 3.589 (SD) mm (range: -6.26 -6.65 mm). LTP occurred in four out of 20 patients (20%). The mean MAM value for patients who developed LTP was -4.00 mm, as compared to 0.727 mm for patients who did not develop LTP. Conclusion: Ablation margin quantification is feasible using a standardized contrast-enhanced computed tomography protocol. Interpretation of MAM was hampered by the occurrence of tissue shrinkage during TA. Further validation in a larger cohort should lead to meaningful cut-off values for technical success of TA. (c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Societe francaise de radiologie. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Show less
Background: Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare intraocular tumor with a dismal prognosis once metastasized. This study provides a nationwide overview and time trends of patients diagnosed with primary... Show moreBackground: Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare intraocular tumor with a dismal prognosis once metastasized. This study provides a nationwide overview and time trends of patients diagnosed with primary UM in the Netherlands between 1989 and 2019. Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study based on patients with primary UM from the database of the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR), linked with the national population registry Statistics Netherlands on inhabitants' cause of death. Two time periods (1989-2004, 2005-2019) were compared with descriptive statistics. Kaplan-Meier and (multivariate) Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess changes over time for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Results: In total, 5036 patients were analyzed with a median age of 64.0 years at the time of diagnosis. The number of patients increased over time. In the first (1989-2004) and second (2005-2019) period, 32% versus 54% of the patients received radiotherapy (p < 0.001). The median FU time was 13.4 years. The median OS of the first and second periods was 9.5 (95% CI 8.7-10.3) versus 11.3 years (95% CI 10.3-12.3; p < 0.001). The median CSS was 30.0 years (95% CI NA) in the first period and not reached in the second period (p = 0.008). In multivariate analysis (MVA), female gender (HR 0.85; 95% CI 0.79-0.92, p < 0.001) and radiotherapy treatment (HR 0.73; 95% CI 0.64-0.83, p < 0.001) were associated with better OS. Radiotherapy treatment (HR 0.74; 95% CI 0.61-0.90, p = 0.002) was also associated with better CSS. The period of diagnosis was not associated with OS or CSS. Conclusions: In this study of patients with primary UM, there was a shift to the diagnosis of smaller tumors, possibly due to stage migration. There was also an increase in eye-preserving treatments over time. OS and CSS were modestly improved in the second time period; however, the time period was not associated with OS or CSS in multivariate analyses. Show less
Background: Current techniques to evaluate computed tomography (CT) foot perfusion in patients with critical limb ischemia use high contrast doses and cannot be used during endovascular procedures.... Show moreBackground: Current techniques to evaluate computed tomography (CT) foot perfusion in patients with critical limb ischemia use high contrast doses and cannot be used during endovascular procedures. CT perfusion of the foot with intra-arterial contrast injection during endovascular treatment in a hybrid angiography CT suite might solve these problems. Purpose: The main objective of this study was to evaluate whether intra-arterial CT foot perfusion using a hybrid CT angiosystem is feasible during endovascular treatment for critical limb ischemia. Material and Methods: This prospective pilot study investigated intraprocedural, intra-arterial CT perfusion of the foot using a hybrid CT angiosystem in 12 patients before and after endovascular treatment for critical limb ischemia. Time to peak (TTP) and arterial blood flow were measured before and after treatment and compared using a paired t test. Results: All 24 CT perfusion maps could be calculated adequately. The contrast volume used for one perfusion CT scan was 4.8 ml. The mean TTP before treatment was 12.8 seconds (standard deviation [SD] 2.8) and the mean TTP posttreatment was 8.4 seconds (SD 1.7), this difference being statistically significant (p=.001). Tendency toward increased blood flow after treatment, 340 ml/min/100 ml (SD 174) vs 514 ml/min/100 ml (SD 366) was noticed (p=.104). The mean effective radiation dose was 0.145 mSv per scan. Conclusion: Computed tomography perfusion of the foot with low contrast dose intra-arterial contrast injection during endovascular treatment in a hybrid angiography CT suite is a feasible technique. Clinical Impact Intra-arterial CT foot perfusion using a hybrid CT-angiography system is a feasible new technique during endovascular therapy for critical limb ischemia to assess the results of the treament. Future research is necessary in defining endpoints of endovascular treatment and establishing its role in limb salvage prognostication. Show less
Reeder, A. de; Hendriks, P.; Plas, H. van der; Zweers, D.; Overbeeke, P.S.M. van; Gravendeel, J.; ... ; Burgmans, M.C. 2023
BackgroundHealthcare is a highly polluting industry and attention to the need for making this sector more sustainable is growing. The interventional radiology (IR) department is a relatively unique... Show moreBackgroundHealthcare is a highly polluting industry and attention to the need for making this sector more sustainable is growing. The interventional radiology (IR) department is a relatively unique department in the hospital because of its synergetic use of both imaging equipment and medical instruments. As a result, the interventional radiology department causes a significant environmental burden in terms of energy usage, waste and water pollution. The aim of this study was to explore the current state of sustainability within IR by conducting a survey and interviews among IR specialists in the Netherlands.ResultsThe main findings of this study were that there is a high awareness for the need of sustainability within IR, but that there is still limited action. Previous studies point towards the various opportunities in the field of energy, waste and water pollution, yet our study unveils these opportunities are often not implemented because of (1) sustainability not being a priority, (2) a dependency on employees, and (3) factors that simply cannot be changed by an individual IR department or hospital. Generally, our study indicates that there is a willingness to become more sustainable, but that the current system involves a wide range barriers that hinder true change. Furthermore, it seems that no one is currently taking the lead and a leading role from higher management, government, healthcare authorities or professional societies is lacking.ConclusionsDespite the hurdles found in our study, IR departments can implement several improvements. An important factor is that sustainability should not lead to lower convenience for employees, which can be ensured by a sufficiently designed waste infrastructure and behavioral nudges. Furthermore, there lies an opportunity in more collaboration between IR departments in knowledge sharing and open innovation. Show less
Purpose To define a safe treatment dose of ipilimumab (IPI) and nivolumab (NIVO) when applied in combination with percutaneous hepatic perfusion with melphalan (M-PHP) in metastatic uveal melanoma ... Show morePurpose To define a safe treatment dose of ipilimumab (IPI) and nivolumab (NIVO) when applied in combination with percutaneous hepatic perfusion with melphalan (M-PHP) in metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) patients (NCT04283890), primary objective was defining a safe treatment dose of IPI/NIVO plus M-PHP. Toxicity was assessed according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.03 (CTCAEv4.03). Secondary objective was response rate, PFS and OS.Materials and Methods Patients between 18-75 years with confirmed measurable hepatic mUM according to RECIST 1.1 and WHO performance score 0-1 were included. Intravenous IPI was applied at 1 mg/kg while NIVO dose was increased from 1 mg/kg in cohort 1 to 3 mg/kg in cohort 2. Transarterial melphalan dose for M-PHP was 3 mg/kg (maximum of 220 mg) in both cohorts. Treatment duration was 12 weeks, consisting of four 3-weekly courses IPI/NIVO and two 6-weekly M-PHPs.Results Seven patients were included with a median age of 63.6 years (range 50-74). Both dose levels were well tolerated without dose-limiting toxicities or deaths. Grade III/IV adverse events (AE) were observed in 2/3 patients in cohort 1 and in 3/4 patients in cohort 2, including Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), febrile neutropenia and cholecystitis. Grade I/II immune-related AEs occurred in all patients, including myositis, hypothyroidism, hepatitis and dermatitis. There were no dose-limiting toxicities. The safe IPI/NIVO dose was defined as IPI 1 mg/kg and NIVO 3 mg/kg. There was 1 complete response, 5 partial responses and 1 stable disease (3 ongoing responses with a median FU of 29.1 months).Conclusion Combining M-PHP with IPI/NIVO was safe in this small cohort of patients with mUM at a dose of IPI 1 mg/kg and NIVO 3 mg/kg. Show less
Purpose: To assess the quantitative minimal ablation margin (MAM) in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) treated with percutaneous thermal ablation (TA) and correlate the quantitative... Show morePurpose: To assess the quantitative minimal ablation margin (MAM) in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) treated with percutaneous thermal ablation (TA) and correlate the quantitative MAM with local tumour recurrence (LTR).Method: Thirty-nine of 143 patients with solitary or multiple CRLM who underwent a first percutaneous TA procedure between January 2011 and May 2020 were considered eligible for study enrolment. Image fusion of pre-and post-ablation scans and 3D quantitative MAM assessment was performed using the in-house developed semi-automatic rigid MRI/CECT-CECT co-registration software deLIVERed. The quantitative MAM was analysed and correlated with LTR.Results: Eighteen (46 %) patients were additionally excluded from further analyses due to suboptimal co -registration (quality co-registration score < 3). The quality of co-registration was considered sufficient in 21 (54 %) patients with a total of 29 CRLM. LTR was found in 5 of 29 (17 %) TA-treated CRLM. In total, 12 (41 %) negative MAMs were measured (mean MAM-4.7 +/- 2.7 mm). Negative MAMs were significantly more frequently seen in patients who developed LTR (100 %) compared to those without LTR (29 %; p = 0.003). The median MAM of patients who developed LTR (-6.6 mm (IQR-9.5 to-4.6)) was significantly smaller compared to the median MAM of patients without LTR (0.5 mm (IQR-1.8 to 3.0); p < 0.001). The ROC curve showed high accuracy in predicting LTR for the quantitative MAM (area under the curve of 0.975 +/- 0.029).Conclusion: This study demonstrated the feasibility of 3D quantitative MAM assessment, using deLIVERed co -registration software, to assess technical success of TA in patients with CRLM and to predict LTR. Show less
Kaptein, F.H.J.; Hulle, T. van der; Braken, S.J.E.; Gennep, E.J. van; Buijs, J.T.; Burgmans, M.C.; ... ; Klok, F.A. 2022
BACKGROUND Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be complicated by a venous tumor thrombus (TT), of which the optimal management is unknown.OBJECTIVES This study sought to assess the prevalence of TT in... Show moreBACKGROUND Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be complicated by a venous tumor thrombus (TT), of which the optimal management is unknown.OBJECTIVES This study sought to assess the prevalence of TT in RCC, its current management, and its association with venous thromboembolism (VTE), arterial thromboembolism (ATE), major bleeding (MB), and mortality.METHODS Patients diagnosed with RCC between 2010 and 2019 in our hospital were included and followed from RCC diagnosis until 2 years after, or until an outcome of interest (VTE, ATE, and MB) or death occurred, depending on the analysis. Cumulative incidences were estimated with death as a competing risk. Cause-specific hazard models were used to identify predictors and the prognostic impact.RESULTS Of the 647 patients, 86 had a TT (prevalence 13.3%) at RCC diagnosis, of which 34 were limited to the renal vein, 37 were limited to the inferior vena cava below the diaphragm, and 15 extended above the diaphragm; 20 patients started therapeutic anticoagulation and 45 underwent thrombectomy with/without anticoagulation. During follow-up (median 24.0 [IQR: 7.0-24.0] months), 17 TT patients developed a VTE, 0 developed an ATE, and 11 developed MB. TT patients were more often diagnosed with VTE (adjusted HR: 6.61; 95% CI: 3.18-13.73) than non-TT patients, with increasing VTE risks in more proximal TT levels. TT patients receiving anticoagulation still developed VTE (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.13-2.48), at the cost of more MB events (HR: 3.44; 95% CI: 0.95-12.42) compared with those without anticoagulation.CONCLUSIONS Patients with RCC-associated TT were at high risk of developing VTE. Future studies should establish which of these patients benefit from anticoagulation therapy. (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Show less
This letter to the editor responds to comments from Rizzo et al on recently reported results of a phase II study of dovitinib therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Main Recommendations 1 ESGE recommends that patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD; due to viruses, alcohol, and/or nonobese [BMI < 30 kg/m 2 ] nonalcoholic... Show moreMain Recommendations 1 ESGE recommends that patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD; due to viruses, alcohol, and/or nonobese [BMI < 30 kg/m 2 ] nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) and clinically significant portal hypertension (hepatic venous pressure gradient [HVPG] > 10 mmHg and/or liver stiffness by transient elastography > 25 kPa) should receive, if no contraindications, nonselective beta blocker (NSBB) therapy (preferably carvedilol) to prevent the development of variceal bleeding. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 2 ESGE recommends that in those patients unable to receive NSBB therapy with a screening upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy that demonstrates high risk esophageal varices, endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is the endoscopic prophylactic treatment of choice. EBL should be repeated every 2-4 weeks until variceal eradication is achieved. Thereafter, surveillance EGD should be performed every 3-6 months in the first year following eradication. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 3 ESGE recommends, in hemodynamically stable patients with acute upper GI hemorrhage (UGIH) and no history of cardiovascular disease, a restrictive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion strategy, with a hemoglobin threshold of <= 70 g/L prompting RBC transfusion. A post-transfusion target hemoglobin of 70-90 g/L is desired. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 4 ESGE recommends that patients with ACLD presenting with suspected acute variceal bleeding be risk stratified according to the Child-Pugh score and MELD score, and by documentation of active/inactive bleeding at the time of upper GI endoscopy. Strong recommendation, high quality of evidence. 5 ESGE recommends the vasoactive agents terlipressin, octreotide, or somatostatin be initiated at the time of presentation in patients with suspected acute variceal bleeding and be continued for a duration of up to 5 days. Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 6 ESGE recommends antibiotic prophylaxis using ceftriaxone 1 g/day for up to 7 days for all patients with ACLD presenting with acute variceal hemorrhage, or in accordance with local antibiotic resistance and patient allergies. Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 7 ESGE recommends, in the absence of contraindications, intravenous erythromycin 250 mg be given 30-120 minutes prior to upper GI endoscopy in patients with suspected acute variceal hemorrhage. Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 8 ESGE recommends that, in patients with suspected variceal hemorrhage, endoscopic evaluation should take place within 12 hours from the time of patient presentation provided the patient has been hemodynamically resuscitated. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 9 ESGE recommends EBL for the treatment of acute esophageal variceal hemorrhage (EVH). Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 10 ESGE recommends that, in patients at high risk for recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding following successful endoscopic hemostasis (Child-Pugh C <= 13 or Child-Pugh B > 7 with active EVH at the time of endoscopy despite vasoactive agents, or HVPG > 20 mmHg), pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) within 72 hours (preferably within 24 hours) must be considered. Strong recommendation, high quality evidence.11 ESGE recommends that, for persistent esophageal variceal bleeding despite vasoactive pharmacological and endoscopic hemostasis therapy, urgent rescue TIPS should be considered (where available). Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 12 ESGE recommends endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection for acute gastric (cardiofundal) variceal (GOV2, IGV1) hemorrhage. Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 13 ESGE recommends endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection or EBL in patients with GOV1-specific bleeding. Strong recommendations, moderate quality evidence. 14 ESGE suggests urgent rescue TIPS or balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) for gastric variceal bleeding when there is a failure of endoscopic hemostasis or early recurrent bleeding. Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 15 ESGE recommends that patients who have undergone EBL for acute EVH should be scheduled for follow-up EBLs at 1- to 4-weekly intervals to eradicate esophageal varices (secondary prophylaxis). Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 16 ESGE recommends the use of NSBBs (propranolol or carvedilol) in combination with endoscopic therapy for secondary prophylaxis in EVH in patients with ACLD. Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. Show less
Purpose The aim of this study was to identify positive predictors for survival in uveal melanoma (UM) patients treated with percutaneous hepatic perfusion with melphalan (M-PHP), by retrospectively... Show morePurpose The aim of this study was to identify positive predictors for survival in uveal melanoma (UM) patients treated with percutaneous hepatic perfusion with melphalan (M-PHP), by retrospectively pooling data from three centers.Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis including patients ( >= 18 years) treated with M-PHP between February 2014 and December 2019 for unresectable liverdominant or liver-only metastases from UM. Predictors for OS were assessed using uni- and multivariate analyses. Other study outcome measures were response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), liver progression-free survival (LPFS), overall survival (OS) and complications according to CTCAEv5.0.Results In total, 101 patients (47.5% males; median age 59.0 years) completed a minimum of one M-PHP. At a median follow-up time of 15.0 months, complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease were seen in five (5.0%), 55 (54.5%), 30 (29.7%) and 11 (10.9%) patients, respectively, leading to a 89.1% disease control rate. Median PFS, LPFS and OS were 9.0, 11.0 and 20.0 months, respectively. Survival analyses stratified for radiological response demonstrated significant improved survival in patients with CR or PR and SD category. Treatment of the primary tumor with radiotherapy, >= 2 M-PHP and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) < 248 U/L were correlated with improved OS. Thirty-day mortality was 1.1% (n = 2). Most common complication was hematological toxicity (self-limiting in most cases).Conclusion M-PHP is safe and effective in patients with UM liver metastases. Achieving CR, PR or SD is associated with improved survival. Primary tumor treatment with radiotherapy, normal baseline LDH and > 1 M-PHP cycles are associated with improved OS. Show less
Purpose To investigate the biodistribution of holmium-166 microspheres (Ho-166-MS) when administered after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim is to... Show morePurpose To investigate the biodistribution of holmium-166 microspheres (Ho-166-MS) when administered after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim is to establish a perfused liver administration dose that results in a tumoricidal dose of holmium-166 on the hyperaemic zone around the ablation necrosis (i.e. target volume). Materials and Methods This is a multicentre, prospective, dose-escalation study in HCC patients with a solitary lesion 2-5 cm, or a maximum of 3 lesions of <= 3 cm each. The day after RFA patients undergo angiography and cone-beam CT (CBCT) with (super)selective infusion of technetium-99 m labelled microalbumin aggregates (Tc-99m-MAA). The perfused liver volume is segmented from the CBCT and Ho-166-MS is administered to this treatment volume 5-10 days later. The dose of holmium-166 is escalated in a maximum of 3 patient cohorts (60 Gy, 90 Gy and 120 Gy) until the endpoint is reached. SPECT/CT is used to determine the biodistribution of holmium-166. The endpoint is met when a dose of >= 120 Gy has been reached on the target volume in 9/10 patients of a cohort. Secondary endpoints include toxicity, local recurrence, disease-free and overall survival. Discussion This study aims to find the optimal administration dose of adjuvant radioembolization with Ho-166-MS after RFA. Ultimately, the goal is to bring the efficacy of thermal ablation up to par with surgical resection for early-stage HCC patients. Show less
Purpose To investigate the biodistribution of holmium166 microspheres (166Ho-MS) when administered after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim is to... Show morePurpose To investigate the biodistribution of holmium166 microspheres (166Ho-MS) when administered after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim is to establish a perfused liver administration dose that results in a tumoricidal dose of holmium-166 on the hyperaemic zone around the ablation necrosis (i.e. target volume). Materials and Methods This is a multicentre, prospective, dose-escalation study in HCC patients with a solitary lesion 2–5 cm, or a maximum of 3 lesions of B 3 cm each. The day after RFA patients undergo angiography and conebeam CT (CBCT) with (super)selective infusion of technetium-99 m labelled microalbumin aggregates (99mTcMAA). The perfused liver volume is segmented from the CBCT and 166Ho-MS is administered to this treatment volume 5–10 days later. The dose of holmium-166 is escalated in a maximum of 3 patient cohorts (60 Gy, 90 Gy and 120 Gy) until the endpoint is reached. SPECT/CT is used to determine the biodistribution of holmium-166. The endpoint is met when a dose of C 120 Gy has been reached on the target volume in 9/10 patients of a cohort. Secondary endpoints include toxicity, local recurrence, disease-free and overall survival. Discussion This study aims to find the optimal administration dose of adjuvant radioembolization with 166Ho-MS after RFA. Ultimately, the goal is to bring the efficacy of thermal ablation up to par with surgical resection for earlystage HCC patients. Show less
Background: Robotic liver surgery represents the most recent evolution in the field of minimally-invasive liver surgery. For planning and guidance of liver resections, surgeons currently rely on... Show moreBackground: Robotic liver surgery represents the most recent evolution in the field of minimally-invasive liver surgery. For planning and guidance of liver resections, surgeons currently rely on preoperative 2-dimensional (2D) CT and/or MR imaging and intraoperative ultrasonography. Translating 2D images into digital 3-dimensional (3D) models may improve both preoperative planning and surgical guidance. The da Vinci (R) robotic surgical system is a platform suitable for the integration of multiple imaging modalities into one single view. In this study, we describe multimodal imaging options and introduce the Robotic Liver Surgery Cockpit; Methods: in-house developed software was used and validated for segmentation and registration to create a virtual reality 3D model of the liver based on preoperative imaging. The accuracy of the 3D models in the clinical setting was objectively assessed in 15 patients by measuring tumor diameters and subjectively with a postoperative conducted questionnaire; Results: Implementation and applicability of the 3D model in the surgical cockpit was feasible in all patients and the quality of the 3D reconstructions was high in 14 (93%) of cases. Tumor diameters measured on CT and/or MR imaging were comparable to automated measurements using the segmentation software and 3D models; Conclusions: the 3D model was successfully incorporated in the robotic surgery console as part of a multimodality imaging platform and aided the surgeon in planning and guidance of the resection. Future studies should focus on further automation of 3D rendering and progress into augmented reality. Show less
Bijlstra, O.D.; Boreel, M.M.E.; Mossel, S. van; Burgmans, M.C.; Kapiteijn, E.H.W.; Oprea-Lager, D.E.; ... ; Geus-Oei, L.F. de 2022
(1) Background: Up to 50% of patients with colorectal cancer either have synchronous colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) or develop CRLM over the course of their disease. Surgery and thermal... Show more(1) Background: Up to 50% of patients with colorectal cancer either have synchronous colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) or develop CRLM over the course of their disease. Surgery and thermal ablation are the most common local treatment options of choice. Despite development and improvement in local treatment options, (local) recurrence remains a significant clinical problem. Many different imaging modalities can be used in the follow-up after treatment of CRLM, lacking evidence-based international consensus on the modality of choice. In this systematic review, we evaluated 18F-FDG-PET-CT performance after surgical resection, thermal ablation, radioembolization, and neoadjuvant and palliative chemotherapy based on current published literature. (2) Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on the PubMed database. (3) Results: A total of 31 original articles were included in the analysis. Only one suitable study was found describing the role of 18F-FDG-PET-CT after surgery, which makes it hard to draw a firm conclusion. 18F-FDG-PET-CT showed to be of additional value in the follow-up after thermal ablation, palliative chemotherapy, and radioembolization. 18F-FDG-PET-CT was found to be a poor to moderate predictor of pathologic response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. (4) Conclusions: 18F-FDG-PET-CT is superior to conventional morphological imaging modalities in the early detection of residual disease after thermal ablation and in the treatment evaluation and prediction of prognosis during palliative chemotherapy and after radioembolization, and 18F-FDG-PET-CT could be considered in selected cases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical resection. Show less
Purpose The primary objective is to determine the minimal ablation margin required to achieve a local recurrence rate of < 10% in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing thermal... Show morePurpose The primary objective is to determine the minimal ablation margin required to achieve a local recurrence rate of < 10% in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing thermal ablation. Secondary objectives are to analyze the correlation between ablation margins and local recurrence and to assess efficacy.Materials and Methods This study is a prospective, multicenter, non-experimental, non-comparative, open-label study. Patients > 18 years with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage 0/A hepatocellular carcinoma (or B with a maximum of two lesions < 5 cm each) are eligible. Patients will undergo dual-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography directly before and after ablation. Ablation margins will be quantitatively assessed using co-registration software, blinding assessors (i.e. two experienced radiologists) for outcome. Presence and location of recurrence are evaluated independently on follow-up scans by two other experienced radiologists, blinded for the quantitative margin analysis. A sample size of 189 tumors (similar to 145 patients) is required to show with 80% power that the risk of local recurrence is confidently below 10%. A two-sided binomial z-test will be used to test the null hypothesis that the local recurrence rate is >= 10% for patients with a minimal ablation margin >= 2 mm. Logistic regression will be used to find the relationship between minimal ablation margins and local recurrence. Kaplan-Meier estimates are used to assess local and overall recurrence, disease-free and overall survival.Discussion It is expected that this study will result in a clear understanding of the correlation between ablation margins and local recurrence. Using co-registration software in future patients undergoing ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma may improve intraprocedural evaluation of technical success. Show less
Broekhoven, A.G.C.; Fiocco, M.; Sprengers, D.; Takkenberg, R.B.; Meer, S. van; Erpecum, K.J. van; ... ; Coenraad, M.J. 2022
Patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) theoretically are an excellent group to consider downstaging using locoregional therapy (LRT) since... Show morePatients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) theoretically are an excellent group to consider downstaging using locoregional therapy (LRT) since they do not have extrahepatic spread or vascular invasion. Once successful, this can change the treatment strategy from palliative to curative intention. Although downstaging therapy is suggested in guidelines, it is still not widely accepted. Moreover, studies on downstaging are mainly performed in high-incidence HCC countries. Therefore, our aim was to gain insight in therapeutic strategies in patients with intermediate stage HCC and their impact on intention-to-treat survival in a real-life setting in a low-incidence HCC country.We retrospectively analyzed data from the national Dutch HCC registry. From this database, consisting of 1409 patients with a diagnosis of HCC between 2005-2013 in 5 Dutch tertiary referral centers, we identified 165 patients with intermediate stage HCC. Out of these patients, 63 (38%) were not offered LRT, whereas 102 (62%) did receive LRT. Subsequently, 50 (49%) of the 102 patients who received LRT were successfully downstaged. Eleven patients (22% of successfully downstaged patients) eventually underwent liver transplantation. Cox regression analysis showed that a lower MELD score, an AFP value <100 ng/ml, successful downstaging and liver transplantation (all <= p = 0.01) were positively associated to overall survival.In conclusion, our results demonstrate that LRT is not routinely offered to intermediate stage HCC patients in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, we showed that patients with intermediate stage HCC who are successfully downstaged have a survival benefit compared to those who were not. Show less
Bijlstra, O.D.; Boreel, M.M.E.; Mossel, S. van; Burgmans, M.C.; Kapiteijn, E.H.W.; Oprea-Lager, D.E.; ... ; Geus-Oei, L.F. de 2022
(1) Background: Up to 50% of patients with colorectal cancer either have synchronous colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) or develop CRLM over the course of their disease. Surgery and thermal... Show more(1) Background: Up to 50% of patients with colorectal cancer either have synchronous colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) or develop CRLM over the course of their disease. Surgery and thermal ablation are the most common local treatment options of choice. Despite development and improvement in local treatment options, (local) recurrence remains a significant clinical problem. Many different imaging modalities can be used in the follow-up after treatment of CRLM, lacking evidence-based international consensus on the modality of choice. In this systematic review, we evaluated F-18-FDG-PET-CT performance after surgical resection, thermal ablation, radioembolization, and neoadjuvant and palliative chemotherapy based on current published literature. (2) Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on the PubMed database. (3) Results: A total of 31 original articles were included in the analysis. Only one suitable study was found describing the role of F-18-FDG-PET-CT after surgery, which makes it hard to draw a firm conclusion. F-18-FDG-PET-CT showed to be of additional value in the follow-up after thermal ablation, palliative chemotherapy, and radioembolization. F-18-FDG-PET-CT was found to be a poor to moderate predictor of pathologic response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. (4) Conclusions: F-18-FDG-PET-CT is superior to conventional morphological imaging modalities in the early detection of residual disease after thermal ablation and in the treatment evaluation and prediction of prognosis during palliative chemotherapy and after radioembolization, and F-18-FDG-PET-CT could be considered in selected cases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical resection. Show less
Broekhoven, A.G.C.; Fiocco, M.; Sprengers, D.; Takkenberg, R.B.; Meer, S. van; Erpecum, K.J. van; ... ; Coenraad, M.J. 2022
PurposeThe primary objective is to determine the minimal ablation margin required to achieve a local recurrence rate of < 10% in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing thermal ablation.... Show morePurposeThe primary objective is to determine the minimal ablation margin required to achieve a local recurrence rate of < 10% in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing thermal ablation. Secondary objectives are to analyze the correlation between ablation margins and local recurrence and to assess efficacy.Materials and MethodsThis study is a prospective, multicenter, non-experimental, non-comparative, open-label study. Patients > 18 years with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage 0/A hepatocellular carcinoma (or B with a maximum of two lesions < 5 cm each) are eligible. Patients will undergo dual-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography directly before and after ablation. Ablation margins will be quantitatively assessed using co-registration software, blinding assessors (i.e. two experienced radiologists) for outcome. Presence and location of recurrence are evaluated independently on follow-up scans by two other experienced radiologists, blinded for the quantitative margin analysis. A sample size of 189 tumors (~ 145 patients) is required to show with 80% power that the risk of local recurrence is confidently below 10%. A two-sided binomial z-test will be used to test the null hypothesis that the local recurrence rate is ≥ 10% for patients with a minimal ablation margin ≥ 2 mm. Logistic regression will be used to find the relationship between minimal ablation margins and local recurrence. Kaplan–Meier estimates are used to assess local and overall recurrence, disease-free and overall survival.DiscussionIt is expected that this study will result in a clear understanding of the correlation between ablation margins and local recurrence. Using co-registration software in future patients undergoing ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma may improve intraprocedural evaluation of technical success. Show less
