Hepatopulmonary shunting after surgical, interventional and systemic therapy in patients with liver malignancies scheduled for radioembolization.

BACKGROUND: Hepatopulmonary shunts (HPS) lead to radiation exposure of the lungs in patients undergoing radioembolization (RE) of malignant liver tumors.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively analyze how HPS is affected by prior systemic or local therapy of the liver.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The percentage HPS was calculated from SPECT/CT scans obtained after technetium-99 m macroaggregated albumin administration into hepatic arteries in 316 patients evaluated for RE.

RESULTS: Patients with partial liver resection (n = 80) did not differ in HPS from the remaining patient population (n = 236) (HPS (median [range]) = 10.2 [2.1-48.3]resection% vs. 8.9 [2.3-32.9]no resection%; P = 0.527). In patients undergoing sequential RE, HPS was significantly higher in the liver lobe treated second (n = 10; HPS = 6.4 [2.1-10.2]firstlobe/session% vs. 12.0 [2.0-24.6]second lobe/session%; P = 0.019). (Chemo-)embolization (n = 19; HPS = 11.0 [2.8-48.3]%) or transcutaneous ablation (n = 63; HPS = 8.8 [3.0-32.9]%) had no effect on HPS compared to patients without prior interventions (no (chemo-)embolization: n = 297; HPS = 9.3 [2.1-47.3]%; P = 0.489; no ablation: n = 253; HPS = 9.5 [2.1-48.3]%; P = 0.382). Pretreatment with sorafenib (HPS = 9.5 [2.3-35.9]yes% vs. 10.2 [2.8-42.0]no%; P = 0.777) orbevacizumab (HPS = 10.7 [2.1-30.6]yes% vs. 9.0 [3.9-23.3]no%; P = 0.870) had no effect on HPS.

CONCLUSION: Sequential RE results in an increase in the HPS in the contralateral liver lobe at the time of the second RE session. Other investigated therapy do not affect HPS.