Radioembolization with yttrium-90 microspheres for pancreatic cancer liver metastases: results from a pilot study

Background. Patients with liver metastases from pancreatic adenocarcinomas have a dismal prognosis. Surgical resection remains the only curative option but is appropriate for only a minority of patients as a treatment option. This is the first study to examine the safety and efficacy of radioembolization with yttirum-90 microspheres for these patients. Patients and methods. All patients with histologically proven pancreatic carcinoma liver metastases referred to a single institution from 2006-2009 were included in the study. After radioembolization, follow-up abdominal computed tomography scans were performed to assess response according to the Response Criteria in Solid Tumors guidelines. Results. Seven patients were identified from our prospectively collected data base. Of the five patients with available computed tomography follow-up, 2 patients achieved a partial response and 1 patient had stable disease. One patient with partial response survived for nearly 15 months after radioembolization therapy. No patient experienced major post-radioembolization complications. Conclusions. Radioembolization with yttrium-90 microspheres may have a useful role in treating patients with pancreatic carcinoma liver metastases in a multimodality setting. Results of the current study warrant further investigation of this novel treatment. Free full text available at www.tumorionline.it