Purpose: Therapy for patients with unresectable liver metastases from breast cancer that were refractory to multiple treatment regimens was performed using radioactive microspheres. High doses of radiation were delivered to tumors from these permanently implanted yttrium-90 ((90)Y) microspheres, delivered through the hepatic arterial vessels.
Methods and materials: Women from three institutions were selected for treatment, after screening that demonstrated vascular access to all tumors and after imaging confirmed that microspheres would be implanted only in the liver tumors. All patients were followed with laboratory and imaging studies at regular intervals until death. Toxicities, both acute and late were recorded, and actuarial survival determined.
Results: A total of 44 women were treated from April 2002 to April 2005. Median follow-up of these women was 14 months (1-42 months). No treatment-related procedure deaths or radiation related veno-occlusive liver failures were found. Computed tomographic imaging partial response was 47% and positron emission tomographic response 95%.
Conclusion: In this group of heavily pretreated patients, radioactive microspheres produced an encouraging median survival, with acceptable toxicity and a significant objective response rate, suggesting that further investigation of this approach is warranted.