Study shows radioembolisation with TheraSphere effective for primary liver cancer

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Oct 7 2010

MDS Nordion, a leading provider of products and services to the global health science market, today announced that the first large European study using Yttrium-90 (Y-90) glass microspheres has been published on the use of TheraSphere®, an innovative radioembolisation therapy for the localised treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or primary liver cancer. The publication, which currently can be viewed online and is expected to appear in the November 2010 edition of Hepatology, concludes that radioembolisation with TheraSphere® is both safe and effective, and states that the overall survival rate is similar to that found in another recently published large study analysing Y-90 glass microspheres for the treatment of HCC.

“The outcomes of this study were not unexpected, but it was extremely important for us to be able to substantiate and verify the treatment here in Europe. We feel confident that the publication of our study will help towards giving more patients access to this advanced therapy.”

In line with this announcement, MDS Nordion will attend the European Association of Nuclear Medicine 2010 conference in Vienna, 9 to 13 October, booth X14-15, where a leading interventional radiologist and nuclear medicine physician (a co-author of the study) will discuss their experiences with the therapy and the options it offers liver cancer patients.

Conducted at MDS Nordion's European Centre of Excellence in Essen, Germany, the study involved 108 patients, none of whom were eligible for conventional locoregional therapies. Patients achieved a median overall survival of 16.4 months with minimal damage to the surrounding healthy tissue, even in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis or portal vein thrombosis. No lung or visceral toxicity was observed. The most frequently observed adverse event was a transient fatigue-syndrome.

Philip Hilgard, MD, hepatologist and lead author of the paper says, "The outcomes of this study were not unexpected, but it was extremely important for us to be able to substantiate and verify the treatment here in Europe. We feel confident that the publication of our study will help towards giving more patients access to this advanced therapy." The full study, entitled "Radioembolisation with Yttrium-90 Glass Microspheres in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: European Experience on Safety and long term Survival" is available online here.

Peter Covitz, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Innovation, MDS Nordion, comments, "The patient outcomes reported in this study substantiate our belief that TheraSphere offers an important therapy option for advanced liver cancer patients. We look forward to working with more patients and oncologists to further advance the quality of liver cancer treatment in Europe."

Nadine Piorkowsky, President of the European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) adds, "Radioactive microspheres that can be targeted directly to the tumour via the arteries are a major scientific breakthrough for interventional oncology. We encourage further studies that will improve patient outcomes."

At MDS Nordion's booth at this year's EANM conference, there will be unique and educational presentations that will provide an overview of radioembolisation using Y-90 for liver cancer patients, including:

Dr Riad Salem, Professor of Radiology, Medicine and Surgery and Director of Interventional Oncology in the Department of Radiology at Northwestern University, has been leading a number of TheraSphere studies in the U.S. He will present on specific case studies and experiences.

Spokespeople available for interviews relating to the study:

Dr. Philip Hilgard, Associate Professor of Medicine and Head of Department for Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at the Academic Teaching Hospital Evangelisches Krankenhaus in Mülheim/Ruhr, Germany.
Prof. Dr. med. Gerald Antoch, Director of the Institute of Radiology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf.

In-person interviews will be available with the following at EANM: