Radioembolization of Primary and Secondary Liver Malignancies and The Effect On The Immune System

Radioembolization of Primary and Secondary Liver Malignancies and The Effect On The Immune System: A Prospective Study of Cytokine Modulation And Immune Cell Infiltration

The goal of this study is to understand the immunologic effects radioembolization has on the immune system. This will be done by evaluating the changes on biopsy, peripheral blood monocytes, and cytokines.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Hepatocellular Carcinoma; Secondary Malignant Neoplasm of Liver
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Yttrium-90

Detailed Description

This is a single institution non-interventional study designed to evaluate the immune reaction to radioembolization (RE) of primary and secondary malignancies of the liver.

RE has been established as a standard of care treatment for both primary and secondary cancers of the liver. The treatment consists of a mapping, or planning angiogram, followed by a delivery angiogram where the dose of yttrium 90 (y90) is delivered. Data has been published on the immune modification powers of external beam radiation (XRT). However, very little data is available on the ways in which RE modifies the immune system. The goal of this study is to determine changes in the peripheral blood monocytes, cytokines and the treated and untreated liver tumors through sample collection prior to and for 12 weeks after standard of care RE.

The prior to, the RE delivery procedure patients will have a blood draw to evaluate for levels of 11 immunologically relevant cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-18, TNFα, IFN-ϒ, Fit ligand 3, and MCP-1). These blood draws will be repeated at 7 days (- 2 days, + 5 days), 4 weeks (± 2 weeks) and 12 weeks (± 2 weeks) after RE.

The patients will also have the infiltration of immune relative cells into treated tumors evaluated. This will be done by the patients undergoing biopsy of the largest tumor to be treated prior to treatment and at 2 weeks (±7 days) following RE. If patients have other areas of tumor, which are not included in the initial treatment site, these areas will also be biopsied.

Finally, the change in immunologically important peripheral lymphocytes will be collected. This will be done with a blood draw on the day of, but prior to RE serving as an internal control. Patients will then also have blood draws performed at 7 days (±2 days), 4 weeks (± 2 weeks) and 12 weeks (± 2 weeks) after RE.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 14
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Minnesota
    • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
      • University of Minnesota

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 22 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Biopsy or image (in the setting of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)) diagnosed hepatic malignancy
• Total bilirubin < 2 mg/dL
• ECOG status ≤ 2
• Life expectancy >3 months as documented in the medical record by the enrolling physician
• Age >22 years
• Lesion >2.0 cm which is amenable to percutaneously biopsied

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unwilling or unable to attend all study related follow ups
• Technetium 99 macro aggregated albumin (MAA) lung shunt fraction >20%
• Arterial anatomy which precludes the ability to safely perform RE
• INR > 1.8 or platelet count <50,000 which cannot be corrected
• Patients who are unable to hold anticoagulation and/or antiplatelet therapy in the periprocedural setting

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Yttrium-90; This single arm study is to evaluate immunologic changes following the treatment of primary or secondary malignancies of the liver utilizing beta-emitting, Yttrium-90.	Other: Yttrium-90; This is to evaluate the immunologic effects of yttrium 90.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in concentrations of PBMC	Determine changes in the peripheral blood lymphocytes utilizing flow cytometery after radioembolization (RE) therapy for primary and secondary malignancies of the liver at 12 weeks.	12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in concentrations of cytokines	Determine changes in the peripheral blood cytokines after radioembolization (RE) therapy for primary and secondary malignancies of the liver. Specifically cytokines IL-1α units/mg, IL-1β units/mg, IL-2 units/mg, IL-6 units/mg, IL-10 units/mg, IL-12p70 units/mg, IL-18 units/mg, TNFα units/mg, IFN-Y units/mg, Fit ligand 3 units/mg, and MCP-1 units/mg will be measured.	1, 4, 12 weeks
Change in concentrations of immune cell infiltration into the tumor	Determine the changes in infiltrating immune cells within the treated tumor, which occur after radioembolization (RE) therapy for primary and secondary malignancies of the liver. This will be accomplished by obtaining tissue samples of the treated tumor before and after treatment, then performing staining and cell counts to determine the change in cytotoxic t cells, t helper cells, natural kill cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells.	1, 4, 12 weeks
Change in concentrations of PBMC	Determine changes in the peripheral blood lymphocytes utilizing flow cytometery after radioembolization (RE) therapy for primary and secondary malignancies of the liver at 1 and 4 weeks.	1 and 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Minnesota
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Shamar J Young, Young, University of Minnesota

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 9, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 24, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): February 24, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 12, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 21, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): March 26, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 18, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cytokine; peripheral blood monocytes
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Neoplasms by Site; Digestive System Neoplasms; Digestive System Diseases; Liver Diseases; Neoplastic Processes; Neoplasms; Neoplasm Metastasis; Liver Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2018LS026

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No