Semin intervent Radiol 2023; 40(06): 511-514
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777714
Review Article

Ablation versus Radiation Segmentectomy for Small Liver Tumors

Merve Ozen
1   Department of Radiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
,
Ronak K. Patel
2   University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a liver malignancy that affects more than a million people worldwide with a complex multifactorial etiology. After the diagnosis of HCC is made, physicians establish management using the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) guidelines revolving around tumor stage, liver function, performance status, and patient preferences. According to recent updates to these guidelines, thermal ablation is the second-best curative option apart from surgical resection for small HCC (< 2 cm). While thermal ablation is standard of care, recent studies have suggested that radiation segmentectomy (RS) has similar outcomes, limited hepatotoxicity, and ultimately a cost-efficient approach. Although there is limited literature on RS, this article compares ablation techniques against radiation segmentectomy for small HCC tumors.



Publication History

Article published online:
24 January 2024

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 
  • References

  • 1 Llovet JM, Kelley RK, Villanueva A. et al. Hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021; 7 (01) 6
  • 2 Chidambaranathan-Reghupaty S, Fisher PB, Sarkar D. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): epidemiology, etiology and molecular classification. Adv Cancer Res 2021; 149: 1-61
  • 3 Reig M, Forner A, Rimola J. et al. BCLC strategy for prognosis prediction and treatment recommendation: the 2022 update. J Hepatol 2022; 76 (03) 681-693
  • 4 Hernandez-Gea V, Turon F, Berzigotti A, Villanueva A. Management of small hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis: focus on portal hypertension. World J Gastroenterol 2013; 19 (08) 1193-1199
  • 5 Ozen M, Raissi D. Current perspectives on microwave ablation of liver lesions in difficult locations. J Clin Imaging Sci 2022; 12: 61
  • 6 Salem R, Johnson GE, Kim E. et al. Yttrium-90 radioembolization for the treatment of solitary, unresectable HCC: the LEGACY study. Hepatology 2021; 74 (05) 2342-2352
  • 7 Chevallier O, Zhao K, Marinelli B, Yarmohammadi H. Image-guided percutaneous locoregional therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma. Chin Clin Oncol 2023; 12 (02) 17
  • 8 De la Garza-Ramos C, Montazeri SA, Croome KP. et al. Radiation segmentectomy for the treatment of solitary hepatocellular carcinoma: outcomes compared with those of surgical resection. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2022; 33 (07) 775-785.e2
  • 9 Zane KE, Nagib PB, Jalil S, Mumtaz K, Makary MS. Emerging curative-intent minimally-invasive therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Hepatol 2022; 14 (05) 885-895
  • 10 Soliman AF, Abouelkhair MM, Hasab Allah MS. et al. Efficacy and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in difficult anatomical sites in Egyptian patients with liver cirrhosis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2019; 20 (01) 295-301
  • 11 Mukund A, Ramalingam R, Anandpara KM, Patidar Y, Vijayaraghavan R, Sarin SK. Efficacy and safety of percutaneous microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinomas <4.  cm in difficult location. Br J Radiol 2020; 93 (1116): 20191025
  • 12 Ozen M, Birmingham E, Raissi D. Re: Liver tumor ablation in difficult locations: microwave ablation of perivascular and subdiaphragmatic hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Imaging 2022; 85: 7-7
  • 13 Ni JY, Liu SS, Xu LF, Sun HL, Chen YT. Meta-analysis of radiofrequency ablation in combination with transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2013; 19 (24) 3872-3882
  • 14 Arndt L, Villalobos A, Wagstaff W. et al. Evaluation of medium-term efficacy of Y90 radiation segmentectomy vs percutaneous microwave ablation in patients with solitary surgically unresectable < 4.  cm hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matched study. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 2021; 44 (03) 401-413
  • 15 Johnson GE, Padia SA. Yttrium-90 radiation segmentectomy. Semin Intervent Radiol 2020; 37 (05) 537-542
  • 16 Andrew JW, Guy EJ. Advances in Y-90 radioembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatoma Res 2022; 8: 2
  • 17 Salem R, Mazzaferro V, Sangro B. Yttrium 90 radioembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: biological lessons, current challenges, and clinical perspectives. Hepatology 2013; 58 (06) 2188-2197
  • 18 Vouche M, Habib A, Ward TJ. et al. Unresectable solitary hepatocellular carcinoma not amenable to radiofrequency ablation: multicenter radiology-pathology correlation and survival of radiation segmentectomy. Hepatology 2014; 60 (01) 192-201
  • 19 Lewandowski RJ, Gabr A, Abouchaleh N. et al. Radiation segmentectomy: potential curative therapy for early hepatocellular carcinoma. Radiology 2018; 287 (03) 1050-1058
  • 20 Gabr A, Riaz A, Johnson GE. et al. Correlation of Y90-absorbed radiation dose to pathological necrosis in hepatocellular carcinoma: confirmatory multicenter analysis in 45 explants. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021; 48 (02) 580-583
  • 21 Gabr A, Kulik L, Mouli S. et al. Liver transplantation following yttrium-90 radioembolization: 15-year experience in 207-patient cohort. Hepatology 2021; 73 (03) 998-1010
  • 22 Padia SA, Kwan SW, Roudsari B, Monsky WL, Coveler A, Harris WP. Superselective yttrium-90 radioembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma yields high response rates with minimal toxicity. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2014; 25 (07) 1067-1073
  • 23 Kim E, Sher A, Abboud G. et al. Radiation segmentectomy for curative intent of unresectable very early to early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (RASER): a single-centre, single-arm study. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 7 (09) 843-850
  • 24 Prachanronarong K, Kim E. Radiation segmentectomy. Semin Intervent Radiol 2021; 38 (04) 425-431
  • 25 Laidlaw GL, Johnson GE. Recognizing and managing adverse events in Y-90 radioembolization. Semin Intervent Radiol 2021; 38 (04) 453-459
  • 26 Biederman DM, Titano JJ, Bishay VL. et al. Radiation segmentectomy versus TACE combined with microwave ablation for unresectable solitary hepatocellular carcinoma up to 3 cm: a propensity score matching study. Radiology 2017; 283 (03) 895-905
  • 27 Gabr A, Kallini JR, Gates VL. et al. Same-day 90Y radioembolization: implementing a new treatment paradigm. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2016; 43 (13) 2353-2359
  • 28 Rostambeigi N, Dekarske AS, Austin EE, Golzarian J, Cressman EN. Cost effectiveness of radioembolization compared with conventional transarterial chemoembolization for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2014; 25 (07) 1075-1084
  • 29 Zori AG, Ismael MN, Firpi-Morell R. et al. Y90 radioembolization is a cost-effective bridging therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: 1035. J Am College Gastroenterology 2017; 112: S574
  • 30 Rahman SI, Nunez-Herrero L, Berkes JL. Position 2: Transarterial radioembolization should be the primary locoregional therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2020; 15 (02) 74-76