Mit der palliativen transarteriellen Chemoembolisation (TACE) läßt sich eine Verkleinerung von malignen Lebertumoren und eine Verlängerung des Überlebens erreichen. Im Verlauf des Therapiezyklus diente die Phosphor-Magnetresonanzspektroskopie mittels Chemical-Shift-Imaging einem nichtinvasiven Einblick in den zellulären Energie- und Membranstoffwechsel. Eine Differenzierung zwischen primären und sekundären Lebertumoren war anhand der 31P-Spektren nicht möglich. Posttherapeutisch zeigten die Patienten einen Anstieg des anorganischen Phosphats bei Abfall des ß-NTP-Signals, die sich während des sechswöchigen Intervalls vor der nächsten Intervention wieder normalisierten. Therapieansprechen und -versagen zeigten während des Therapiezyklus unterschiedliche spektroskopische Quotientenverläufe. Eine deutliche Volumenreduktion als auch eine homogene und dauerhafte Lipiodoleinlagerung im Tumor gehen zuverlässig mit einem spektroskopischen Therapieansprechen einher. Dies zeigte sich bei der ersten Patientengruppe während der Untersuchung direkt nach der Embolisation und bei der zweiten Gruppe erst vor der nächsten Intervention. Therapieversagen, Tumorprogression und geringe Lipiodoleinlagerung bzw. rasche Entspeicherung im Verlauf ließen sich spektroskopisch nach-weisen. Schwierig bleibt die Zuordnung der Patienten mit uneinheitlichen Quotienten-verläufen. Die MRS kann früher als die klinische Routinediagnostik eine Aussage über das Therapieansprechen treffen. Für den Patienten ergibt sich die Vermeidung einer ineffektiven Therapie. Bei nachgewiesenem Ansprechen hingegen profitiert der Patient durch die wiederholte Anwendung der TACE. Der hohe personelle, technische und zeitliche Aufwand für die Phosphorspektroskopie verhindert bisher den klinischen Routineeinsatz dieses Verfahrens. Im Rahmen der klinischen Forschung, insbe-sondere in der onkologischen Therapiekontrolle, hat die MRS als nichtinvasive Methode heute einen großen Stellenwert. / Using palliative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) a reduction of malignant liver neoplasms and a prolongation of survival time can be achieved. During the course of therapy phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy by means of chemical-shift-imaging was used for noninvasive examination of the cellular metabolism of energy and membranes. Differentiation between primary and secondary liver tumors was not feasible using 31P-spectra. After therapy patients had shown increased inorganic phosphate signal and reduction of the ß-NTP-signals, which normalized during six week intervall before next intervention. Response and non-response to therapy showed different courses of spectroscopic quotients during therapy cycle. Prominent reduction of volume as well as homogeneous and continous retention of lipiodol within the tumor are reliable combined with spectroscopic response to therapy. The first group of patients showed these signs at the examination immediately after embolization whereas patients of the second group showed these signs not before next intervention. Failure of therapy, progression of tumor and slight retention of lipiodol or rapid elemination during course of therapy were detectable by spectroscopy. Categorization of patients with non-uniform courses of quotients remains difficult. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy is able to determine response to therapy earlier than standard diagnostic methods. As a result ineffective therapy is avoided for the patient. On the other hand the patient profits from repeated administration of TACE. Great expense of personnel, equipment and time so far prevents clinical use of phosphorous spectroscopy as a matter of routine. In conjunction with clinical research MRS is an important non-invasive method especially for oncological therapy monitoring.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency of a multimodality approach consisting of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as bridging therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and to evaluate the histopathological response in explant specimens. Materials and Methods: Between April 2001 and November 2011, 36 patients with 50 HCC nodules (1.4–5.0 cm, median 2.8 cm) on the waiting list for liver transplantation were treated by TACE and RFA. The drop-out rate during the follow-up period was recorded. The local efficacy was evaluated by histopathological examination of the explanted livers. Results: During a median follow-up time of 29 (4.0–95.3) months the cumulative drop-out rate for the patients on the waiting list was 0, 2.8, 5.5, 11.0, 13.9 and 16.7% at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively. 16 patients (with 26 HCC lesions) out of 36 (44.4%) were transplanted by the end of study with a median waiting list time of 13.7 (2.5–37.8) months. The histopathological examination of the explanted specimens revealed a complete necrosis in 20 of 26 HCCs (76.9%), whereas 6 (23.1%) nodules showed viable residual tumor tissue. All transplanted patients are alive at a median time of 29.9 months. Imaging correlation showed 100% specificity and 66.7% sensitivity for the depiction of residual or recurrent tumor. Conclusion: We conclude that TACE combined with RFA could provide an effective treatment to decrease the drop-out rate from the OLT waiting list for HCC patients. Furthermore, this combination therapy results in high rates of complete tumor necrosis as evaluated in the histopathological analysis of the explanted livers. Further randomized trials are needed to demonstrate if there is a benefit in comparison with a single-treatment approach. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency of a multimodality approach consisting of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as bridging therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and to evaluate the histopathological response in explant specimens. Materials and Methods: Between April 2001 and November 2011, 36 patients with 50 HCC nodules (1.4–5.0 cm, median 2.8 cm) on the waiting list for liver transplantation were treated by TACE and RFA. The drop-out rate during the follow-up period was recorded. The local efficacy was evaluated by histopathological examination of the explanted livers. Results: During a median follow-up time of 29 (4.0–95.3) months the cumulative drop-out rate for the patients on the waiting list was 0, 2.8, 5.5, 11.0, 13.9 and 16.7% at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, respectively. 16 patients (with 26 HCC lesions) out of 36 (44.4%) were transplanted by the end of study with a median waiting list time of 13.7 (2.5–37.8) months. The histopathological examination of the explanted specimens revealed a complete necrosis in 20 of 26 HCCs (76.9%), whereas 6 (23.1%) nodules showed viable residual tumor tissue. All transplanted patients are alive at a median time of 29.9 months. Imaging correlation showed 100% specificity and 66.7% sensitivity for the depiction of residual or recurrent tumor. Conclusion: We conclude that TACE combined with RFA could provide an effective treatment to decrease the drop-out rate from the OLT waiting list for HCC patients. Furthermore, this combination therapy results in high rates of complete tumor necrosis as evaluated in the histopathological analysis of the explanted livers. Further randomized trials are needed to demonstrate if there is a benefit in comparison with a single-treatment approach. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.