The Society of Interventional Radiology's 39th Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology was held from April 2 to 7 in Vancouver, Canada, and attracted more than 5,000 participants from around the world, including scientists, allied health professionals, and others interested in interventional radiology. The conference highlighted recent advances in disease management and minimally invasive, image-guided therapeutic interventions, with nearly 400 scientific presentations and posters covering the latest trends in interventional radiology research.
In one study, Matthew Lungren, M.D., of the Stanford University Medical Center in California, and colleagues evaluated the use of an innovative targeted focal cancer therapy called transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, also called transarterial chemoembolization or TACE, that allows for direct administration of chemotherapy to the site of the tumor. The investigators used this directly targeted chemotherapy technique in children with advanced liver tumors who were not eligible for surgery.
"The goal of this study was to look at whether this technique reduces the size of tumors but without toxic side effects tied to systemic chemotherapy," Lungren said.
Among the eight children evaluated, the investigators found that after this technique was able to kill the tumors directly without any side effects of toxic chemotherapy, six of the eight children treated were able to receive live-saving liver transplantation.
"Our approach shrank tumors by half on average. This is the first time this innovative technique has been reported in children with primary liver cancer," Lungren said. "It is very important to continue to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this approach and get to the point of a clinical trial. This technique is not commonly seen in children but is commonly used in adults. This study provides us critical evidence and brings awareness of the potential of this approach in pediatric patients. This approach may not only be suitable for liver cancer but may work effectively for different types of cancer."
Abstract No. 189
In the single-blind, randomized phase II, single-center, PREMIERE trial, Andrew C. Gordon, of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues evaluated the efficacy and safety of conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) versus yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ineligible to receive ablation.
The investigators found that median time-to-progression (TTP) was 6.4 months in the cTACE group but was not reached in the Y90 group. In addition, median overall survival censored to liver transplant was 17.7 months in the cTACE group and 23.8 months in the Y90 group. Serious adverse events and objective response rates were similar in both the cTACE and Y90 groups.
"Y90 treatment resulted in significantly longer TTP when compared to cTACE in a randomized trial," the authors write. "Although improved TTP did not result in a significant difference in overall survival, our results translate to Y90 achieving better local tumor control and lower dropout from transplant listing when compared to the standard of care cTACE."
Abstract No. 129
Sheng Xu, of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile device iPhone application for needle placement guidance. The investigators measured the accuracy and effectiveness of the approach. They found that the approach was both accurate and effective, with a low error rate.
"Mobile devices can be useful for guiding needle-based interventions," the authors write. "The hardware is low cost and widely available. The method is very accurate, effective, and easy to implement."
Abstract No. 377
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