Liver radioembolization using 90Y resin microspheres in elderly patients: tolerance and outcome.

AbstractPurpose: Yttrium 90 (90Y) microsphere radioembolization (90Y-RE) is an emerging locoregional treatment for liver cancer. The most common complications of 90Y-RE arise from excessive irradiation of nontarget organs (eg, gastrointestinal tract, lung, and nontumoral liver). Patients with advanced age may have substantial comorbidities that can affect their life expectancy, and tolerance to radiation in elderly patients may be altered. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and survival of elderly patients treated with 90Y-RE. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 255 patients with liver tumors (primary or metastatic) who were treated with 90Y-RE in our institution from September 2003 to February 2010. We categorized patients as “elderly” if aged ≥ 70 years and “younger” if aged < 70 years. Results: Seventy-three patients (29%) were aged ≥ 70 years. The most frequent liver tumor among elderly patients was hepatocellular carcinoma. Complication rates were similar in both groups: 10.4% of elde...