Radioembolisation in the treatment of liver cancer: A multidisciplinary approach for individualised therapy

The practice of radioembolisation for the treatment of liver cancer has grown steadily as a palliative option for patients who have non-resectable disease and, generally, have not responded to other forms of therapy. Radioembolisation is a largely multidisciplinary procedure that involves collaboration between the oncologist, the interventional radiologist, and the nuclear medicine physicians and scientists, where the level of involvement from each faction varies largely from clinic to clinic, as does the approach to treatment itself. Since its time of development, radioembolisation has seen an increase in clinical utilisation and improvement in planning techniques. Imaging plays a large role, from the initial diagnosis and monitoring of response at both the morphological and functional level, to, in more recent times, the ability for post-treatment visualisation and quantification of the therapeutic dose delivered. Combined with advances in clinical techniques for super selective delivery of the treatment agent, and an improved understanding of the dose response relationship and how this varies with pathology, such a multidisciplinary approach puts radioembolisation at the forefront of the move towards personalised medicine in targeted radionuclide therapy.
The current issue provides a comprehensive set of articles that address the broad topic of radioembolisation, in terms of its development, significant advances, current practices, and future directions. From the clinical practice of planning and treatment to the current standards of imaging, processing and understanding of dosimetry, this issue aims to promote discussion and debate across disciplines in order to further optimise the therapeutic outcome.

Financial support for this research topic is being provided by Sirtex Medical, Sydney, Australia.