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REGRESSION OF LIVER METASTASES FOLLOWING TREATMENT WITH YTTRIUM‐90 MICROSPHERES
Author(s) -
Gray B. N.,
Anderson J. E.,
Burton M. A.,
Hazel G.,
Codde J.,
Morgan C.,
Klemp P.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1992.tb00006.x
Subject(s) - medicine , laparotomy , radiation therapy , liver cancer , embolization , microsphere , radiology , gastroenterology , nuclear medicine , surgery , cancer , chemical engineering , engineering
Book reviews in this article: Selective internal radiation (SIR) therapy is a technique developed by our group for concentration of Yttrium‐90 microspheres into liver metastases. The technique involves laparotomy, insertion of the catheter into the hepatic artery, redistribution of liver blood flow with vaso‐active agents and incremental embolization of Yttrium‐90 containing microspheres (SIR spheres) into the liver. Twenty‐nine patients with non‐resectable liver metastases from primary adenocarcinoma of the large bowel were treated by this technique and followed for a minimum of three months to assess evidence of tumour regression. Response to treatment was measured by serial estimations of carcino‐embryonic antigen (CEA) and tumour volumes measured from serial computerized tomography (CT) scanning of the liver. There was a fall in the serum CEA level in all 26 patients in whom the serial estimations of CEA were performed following SIR therapy. The overall mean fall in CEA was 70% of pre‐treatment levels with 88% of patients (23 of 26) experiencing more than a 50% fall in pre‐treatment CEA levels. In 18 of 22 evaluable patients CT measured tumour volumes decreased following SIR therapy. In 48% of patients (10 of 22 patients) the decrease in tumour volume was more than 50%. SIR therapy results in a high rate of tumour regression in patients with liver metastases secondary to large bowel cancer.