Publications by authors named "Maarten Smits"

Background: To study the feasibility of hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) to improve selection and planning of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with holmium-166 (Ho)-microspheres radioembolization.

Results: Thirty-one patients with HCC were included and treated with Ho- radioembolization as part of a prospective phase 2 study. Twenty-seven patients were eligible for analysis, 67% had a cirrhotic liver morphology on imaging, 70% had multifocal disease and 51% had bilobar disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In same-day radioembolization, 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT, 90Y radioembolization, and post-treatment 90Y SPECT/CT procedures are conducted on the same-day, resulting in a dual-isotope environment of 90Y and 99mTc during post-treatment imaging. This study aimed to quantify the impact of 99mTc on 90Y bremsstrahlung-SPECT/CT image quality and to establish an optimised imaging protocol for both clinical practice, and with advanced reconstruction techniques. Utilising a NEMA IQ phantom, contrast recovery coefficients (CRCs) were measured to evaluate the 90Y image quality degradation caused by 99mTc.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose To evaluate the safety and feasibility of a novel hybrid nuclear and fluoroscopy C-arm scanner to be used during the work-up procedure of hepatic radioembolization. Materials and Methods In this prospective first-in-human clinical study, 12 participants (median age, 67 years [range: 37-78 years]; nine [75%] male, three [25%] female) with liver tumors undergoing work-up for yttrium 90 radioembolization were included (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06013774).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To evaluate dosimetry, dose-response and dose-toxicity relationships for holmium-166 (Ho) radioembolisation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Thirty-one patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were included in the HEPAR Primary study (NCT03379844, registered on December 20th, 2017) and underwent Ho-microspheres radioembolisation. Linear mixed models assessed the association between tumour absorbed doses and response based on mRECIST both on tumour and patient level.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Currently, significant medical practice variation exists in thermal ablation (TA) of malignant liver tumors with associated differences in outcomes. The IMaging and Advanced Guidance for workflow optimization in Interventional Oncology (IMAGIO) consortium aims to integrate interventional oncology into the standard clinical pathway for cancer treatment in Europe by 2030, by development of a standardized low-complex-high-precision workflow for TA of malignant liver tumors. This study was conducted at the start of the IMAGIO project with the aim to explore the current state and future role of modern technology in TA of malignant liver tumors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Subtraction of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images has a number of clinical applications in e.g. foci localization in ictal/inter-ictal SPECT and defect detection in rest/stress cardiac SPECT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Liver metastases presenting as small hyperintense foci on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) pose a therapeutic challenge. Ablation is generally not possible since these lesions are often occult on ultrasound and CT. The purpose of this prospective study was to assess if small liver metastases (≤10 mm) detected on DWI can be successfully localized and ablated with the Hepatic Arteriography and C-Arm CT-Guided Ablation technique (HepACAGA).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: An international survey was conducted by the Cardiovascular Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) to evaluate radioembolization practice and capture opinions on real-world clinical and technical aspects of this therapy.

Materials And Methods: A survey with 32 multiple choice questions was sent as an email to CIRSE members between November and December 2022. CIRSE group member and sister societies promoted the survey to their local members.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 38-year-old woman with urosepsis and persistent unilateral hydronephrosis after antibiotic treatment. Antegrade pyelogram shows urine flow obstruction to the bladder. The whole ureter shows multiple small smooth-walled round lucent filling defects projecting into the lumen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This article provides a thorough overview of the practice and multistep approach of hepatic radioembolization. The current literature on hepatic radioembolization in primary or metastatic liver tumors as well as future perspectives are discussed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Hepatic Arteriography and C-Arm CT-Guided Ablation of liver tumors (HepACAGA) is a novel technique, combining hepatic-arterial contrast injection with C-arm CT-guided navigation. This study compared the outcomes of the HepACAGA technique with patients treated with conventional ultrasound (US) and/or CT-guided ablation.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, all consecutive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) treated with conventional US-/CT-guided ablation between 1 January 2015, and 31 December 2020, and patients treated with HepACAGA between 1 January 2021, and 31 October 2023, were included.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To assess whether the intention to intraoperatively reposition pedicle screws differs when spine surgeons evaluate the same screws with 2D imaging or 3D imaging.

Methods: In this online survey study, 21 spine surgeons evaluated eight pedicle screws from patients who had undergone posterior spinal fixation. In a simulated intraoperative setting, surgeons had to decide if they would reposition a marked pedicle screw based on its position in the provided radiologic imaging.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

With the rapidly evolving field of image-guided tumor ablation, there is an increasing demand and need for tools to optimize treatment success. Known factors affecting the success of (non-)thermal liver ablation procedures are the ability to optimize tumor and surrounding critical structure visualization, ablation applicator targeting, and ablation zone confirmation. A recent study showed superior local tumor progression-free survival and local control outcomes when using transcatheter computed tomography hepatic angiography (CTHA) guidance in percutaneous liver ablation procedures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Radiation pneumonitis is a serious complication of radioembolization. In holmium-166 ([Ho]) radioembolization, the lung mean dose (LMD) can be estimated (eLMD) using a scout dose with either technetium-99 m-macroaggregated albumin ([Tc]MAA) or [Ho]-microspheres. The accuracy of eLMD based on [Tc]MAA (eLMD) was compared to eLMD based on [Ho]-scout dose (eLMD) in two prospective clinical studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Liver malignancy, including primary liver cancer and metastatic liver cancer, has become one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide due to the high malignant degree and limited systematic treatment strategy. Radioembolization with yttrium-90 (Y)-loaded microspheres is a relatively novel technology that has made significant progress in the local treatment of liver malignancy. The different steps in the extensive work-up of radioembolization for patients with an indication for treatment with Y microspheres, from patient selection to follow up, both technically and clinically, are discussed in this paper.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Our objective was to compare 3 different therapeutic particles used for radioembolization in locally advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Y-glass, Y-resin, and Ho-labeled poly(l-lactic acid) microsphere prescribed activity was calculated as per manufacturer recommendations. Posttreatment quantitative Y PET/CT and quantitative Ho SPECT/CT were used to determine tumor-absorbed dose, whole-normal-liver-absorbed dose, treated-normal-liver-absorbed dose, tumor-to-nontumor ratio, lung-absorbed dose, and lung shunt fraction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Trans-arterial radioembolization is a well-studied tumoricidal treatment for liver malignancies; however, consensus and evidence regarding periprocedural prophylactic medication (PPM) are lacking.

Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis from 2014 to 2020 was performed in patients treated with Y-glass microspheres for neuroendocrine or colorectal liver metastases. Inclusion criteria were the availability of at least 3 months of clinical, biochemical, and imaging follow-up and post-treatment Y-PET/CT imaging for the determination of the whole non-tumorous liver absorbed dose (D).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: We present a technique that combines Hepatic Arteriography with C-arm CT-Guided Ablation (HepACAGA) to improve tumor visualization, navigation and margin confirmation for percutaneous ablation of liver tumors.

Materials And Methods: All consecutive patients scheduled for HepACAGA between April 20th, 2021, and November 2nd, 2021, were included in this retrospective, cohort study. HepACAGA was performed in an angiography-suite under general anesthesia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The RALLY study tests a new treatment called unilobar radioembolization, using radioactive particles to help control liver tumors and prepare the liver for surgery.
  • It involves patients who can't have surgery because their liver isn't strong enough, and the study will check how safe and effective this treatment is.
  • This is the first of its kind, hoping to eventually make this treatment a normal part of liver cancer care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Radiation lobectomy is a treatment that uses targeted radiation to help shrink liver tumors and grow healthy liver tissue.
  • In a study, researchers looked at patients with colorectal liver cancer and found that the amount of radiation didn't clearly affect the tumor's response.
  • They discovered that tumors with certain markers, like higher levels of a growth marker (Ki-67) and cancer stem cells (Olfm4), were less likely to shrink, highlighting that some cancer cells are tough and need quick surgery after radiation treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Immunotherapy in the form of checkpoint inhibitors has changed the treatment paradigm in oncology. Combining selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with immunotherapy has been suggested to potentially improve outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic colorectal carcinoma (mCRC). In this systematic review, the authors discuss the current developments and available clinical data regarding the combination of immunotherapy and SIRT in treating hepatic malignancies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: We assessed the accuracy of a new 3D2D registration algorithm to be used for navigated spine surgery and explored anatomical and radiologic parameters affecting the registration accuracy. Compared to existing 3D2D registration algorithms, the algorithm does not need bone-mounted or table-mounted instruments for registration. Neither does the intraoperative imaging device have to be tracked or calibrated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The safety and efficacy of Ho radioembolization was first determined in the HEPAR and HEPAR II studies, which, however, excluded patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this prospective clinical early phase II study was to establish the toxicity profile of Ho radioembolization in patients with measurable, liver-dominant HCC; Barcelona clinic liver cancer stage B or C; a Child-Pugh score of no more than B7; and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1 without curative treatment options. The primary endpoint was a rate of unacceptable toxicity defined as grade 3 hyperbilirubinemia (Common Terminology Cancer Adverse Events, version 4.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF