Dr. Kim on the Future Role of Y-90 in Patients with Unresectable HCC

Edward Kim, MD, director, Interventional Oncology, professor, Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, professor of Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, discusses the future role of yttrium-90 (Y-90) glass microspheres (TheraSphere) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The hope is to deliver Y-90 to the tumors of patients at various stages of disease, including those with advanced disease with hypervascular tumors, Kim says. Targeting these tumors by depositing Y-90 can destroy cells and prevent progression, Kim explains. Additionally, combining Y-90 with checkpoint inhibitors could also provide a benefit for patients with unresectable HCC, Kim continues.

In the phase 3 IMbrave150 trial (NCT03434379), the objective response rate (ORR) was approximately 35% in patients who received atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus bevacizumab (Avastin). By adding Y-90 to a patient’s treatment, it could be possible to increase the ORR in patients and improve median overall survival, Kim adds.

Combination treatments like this could also aid in downstaging patients, particularly in those with an aggressive tumor biology, Kim concludes.