Radioembolization versus standard care of hepatic metastases: comparative retrospective cohort study of survival outcomes and adverse events in salvage patients.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the safety and survival of patients with chemotherapy-refractory liver metastases treated with yttrium-90 ((90)Y) resin microspheres, and to compare survival in this patient group versus survival after standard/supportive care to assess whether radioembolization contributes to survival gains in the salvage setting.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: While 339 patients with chemotherapy-refractory liver metastases underwent (90)Y microspheres radioembolization at a single institution between 2006 and 2011, 51 patients were referred back to their treating physician for conservative treatment or best supportive care. Adverse events were assessed at the time of treatment and at 1 and 3 months after treatment. Overall survival (OS) was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method for the radioembolization cohort (as a whole and according to two subcohorts: patients with colorectal primary cancer and patients with all other primary cancers, eg, breast or neuroendocrine) and the standard-care cohort.
RESULTS: The median OS after (90)Y radioembolization (339 patients) was 12.0 months, versus 6.3 months for the standard-care cohort (51 patients; P < .001). The median OS times for the two subcohorts were 11.9 months and 12.7 months, respectively. At the 3-month follow-up, the incidence of more serious adverse events was low, with 11 cases (3%) of ulceration, 10 cases (2.9%) of radiation-induced liver disease, and six complications (1.8%) involving the gallbladder (eg, cholecystitis).
CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that radioembolization shows promise as an effective and safe treatment for patients with chemotherapy-refractory hepatic metastases and improves overall survival in a select population of patients in a salvage setting compared with best supportive care alone.