Computed tomography-guided implantation of ¹²⁵I seeds brachytherapy for recurrent multiple pulmonary oligometastases: initial experience and results

Purpose

In China, lung cancer is the most common and leading cause of death [1]. Recurrent multiple pulmonary metastases (RMPM) usually predisposes to a poor prognosis. Understandably, the therapeutic efficacy of surgical treatment combined with external radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy is inadequate and unsatisfactory. Three-dimensional stereotactic radiotherapy using interstitial implantation of ¹²⁵I seeds is now considered a novel complement to surgery and external radiotherapy [2,3,4].
Because patients with lung metastases have a longer periods of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than those with metastases in other organs [5], we consider that RMPM have intermediate states, in which the spread of disease is limited to the lungs and metastases is present in limited numbers [6].¹²⁵I has a relatively long half-life and can function in dividing tumor cells, thereby reducing their proliferation. The continuous rate of low-dose radiation of ¹²⁵I seeds was more efficient in inhibiting cell growth than external beam radiation [7].
Both seed implantation and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) can treat distant lung metastases. Evidence supporting the use of SBRT for lung metastases has expanded rapidly over the past decade, showing high rates of local control with low associated toxicity [8]. However, ¹²⁵I seeds can provide recurrent short-term treatment for RMPM (less than 1 week), while SBRT is typically associated with a variety of complications, and often unable to proceed to the second and third radiotherapy cycles in the same lobe in a short time (more than 2 months) [9,10]. Considering the treatment restrictions of SBRT for RMPM, we have summarized in our report a set of implantation treatments for recurrent multiple cases of lung metastases.

Material and methods

Patients

From September 2013 to December 2015, 22 patients (14 males and 8 females; mean age ± standard deviation, 58.09 ± 3.562 years; range, 16-81 years) with RMPM (mean number, 3; range, 2-10; total number, 65) and the largest diameter measuring 1.2-3.6 cm received computed tomography (CT)-guided ¹²⁵I brachytherapy. Characteristics of patients and metastatic tumors are summarized in Table 1. In all cases, the primary cancer and metastases were confirmed by surgery or biopsied specimens. Standard chemotherapy was administered to 11 patients and 4 of them received radiation therapy. Every patient with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had undergone transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). In all, 3 cases of liver metastasis, 2 of bone metastasis, and 3 of adrenal metastasis underwent TACE. All cases of the primary tumor were well controlled, and RMPM were recorded without chest pain, cough, and phlegm symptoms; however, cases of intrapulmonary metastases continued to increase. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of our university. All patients provided written informed consent to participate in the study.
Recurrent multiple pulmonary metastases were seen on CT 8-23 months (11.95 ± 0.78) months after the first ¹²⁵I implantation. The diagnosis was confirmed by CT- guided needle biopsy before ¹²⁵I brachytherapy in the enrolled patients. Inclusion criteria for ¹²⁵I brachytherapy of RMPM were as follows: 1) multiple metastases (number, ≥ 2) in the lungs, and the patient was not a suitable candidate for resection; 2) conventional methods such as chemotherapy and TACE could not effectively control the metastases; 3) patients with multiple tumor metastases of the lung who were unable to withstand radiation-related complications. Patients who had blood-coagulation dysfunction or a Karnofsky performance score of < 70 were excluded. Standard chemotherapy and TACE were administered during or after brachytherapy to control the primary tumor or other metastases.

Instrumentation

The ¹²⁵I seeds (Model-6711), implantation needle, and implantation gun were provided by Atom-Hitech Limited (HTA Co. LTD. [approval] H20045969 China). Each seed comprised a cylindrical titanium body (length, 4.5 mm; diameter, 0.8 mm). Dimensions within the silver column were 3.0 mm × 0.5 mm, adsorption of ¹²⁵I radioactivity was 25.9 MBq, and the half-life was 59.43 days.
Preoperative evaluation of metastases with conventional CT (Siemens 16 row, Germany) enabled data transmission to a treatment-planning system (TPS) (BT-RSI; Yuan Bo, Beijing, China). This system enabled outlining the target lesion, calculation of gross tumor volume and clinical target volume, mapping of the needle’s path and depth, and computation of the number of seeds and needles. The planning target volume of 90% (D90) was 120-160 Gy for ¹²⁵I seeds with an activity of 25.9 MBq.

¹²⁵I seed brachytherapy

We ensured that each patient was calm with a steady respiratory rate as assessed by CT. All patients, in the supine or prone position, were scanned with 3-mm-thick slices with gridlines on the surface to measure the volume of metastases. Three-dimensional reconstruction was performed, and the CT images were transferred to a TPS. The matched peripheral dose was calculated based on the target volume and the number of ¹²⁵I seeds. We use gridlines joint CT scans to identify puncture point on the body surface. Local anesthesia (2% lidocaine) was administered to all patients before the surgery. The implantation needle was inserted into the area of metastases under CT guidance, and the spacing between seeds was kept at 0.5-0.8 cm. The implantation process is shown in detail in Figure 1. All care was taken to ensure that seed distribution was three-dimensional and the damage to surrounding normal tissue was minimal. Dose verification (through TPS) after implantation of ¹²⁵I seeds ensured that the D90 value was attained; replanting of ¹²⁵I seeds was carried out if necessary. Standard treatment to counteract bleeding and infection was initiated 24 h after implantation. In order to minimize the risk of pneumothorax, we avoided puncturing both lungs in one treatment and carried out unilateral lung puncture for up to two metastases. Post puncture treatment, patients were required to rest in bed and were given proper oxygen inhalation.

Follow-up

Chest CT was performed 1, 2, and 6 months after implantation to ascertain changes in tumor size and review for new metastases. Local control was determined 6 months after implantation. According to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (2010 version) [11], we evaluated the following parameters: complete response (CR; disappearance of all target lesions for ≥ 1 month); partial response (PR; ≥ 30% decrease in the sum of the largest diameter of target lesions with the baseline sum of the largest diameter as reference); progressive disease (PD; ≥ 20% increase in the sum of the largest diameter of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum of the largest diameter recorded since the treatment started or the appearance of one or more new lesions); and stable disease (SD; neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, with the smallest sum of the largest diameter since the treatment started as reference).

Statistical analyses

Follow-up time was considered as the date from seed implantation. GraphPad Prism v5 (Avenida, CA, USA) was used for all charting and statistical analyses. Data are expressed as mean ± SE. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to evaluate overall local control and survival time.

Results

Implantation of ¹²⁵I seeds

In total, 65 cases of metastases in 22 patients were treated with ¹²⁵I seeds brachytherapy, with 44 implantations (mean number of implantations, 2; range, 1-5). The total number of implanted seeds was 1090 (mean, 50 ± 6 per patient; minimum: 20, maximum: 160). The mean value for D90 for ¹²⁵I implantation was 132 Gy.

Adverse effects of treatment

Twenty-two patients successfully completed the treatment. All needles were disposable, and five patients complained of pain at the puncture site, but these symptoms disappeared 24 hours after initiation of analgesic therapy. Lung puncture process typically results in a small amount of leakage, which can be reduced by minimizing the number of punctures. In our study, there were 4 cases of pneumothorax, where in the pulmonary compression was less than 30% with conservative treatment. Three days after the operation, 16 patients presented with cough, sputum, and hemoptysis. After 1 month of operation, 1 case of puncture subcutaneous metastasis occurred; we have been closely monitoring this patient thus far. Minor radiation pneumonitis was observed in two lungs at follow-up CT. The post-surgical renal, hepatic, and vascular functions were normal. In this group, there was no particle movement.

Treatment efficacy

At the ≥ 8-month follow-up, contrast-enhanced spiral CT was used to evaluate the efficacy of implantation. Treatment characteristics and CT review based on changes in tumor size are shown in Table 1 and Figure 2. Local control of tumors at 1, 2, and 6 months after implantation are shown in Table 2. Survival characteristics are shown in Figure 3.
CR + PR was documented in 81.54%, 78.46%, and 78.46% of patients at 1, 2, and 6 months after implantation, respectively. Fourteen out of 22 patients had CR, 3 had PR, 2 had SD, and 3 had PD. Two patients developed new metastases within a short time post implantation, and percutaneous implantation metastasis was observed in one patient. In some patients, owing to emerging newer pulmonary metastases, up to 5 implantations were required. Most of the metastases (CR + PR + SD; 87.69% after 6 months) were controlled by implantation.

Discussion

Currently, minimally invasive loco-regional approaches such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA)/microwave ablation or SBRT have been introduced as an alternative to surgery [12,13,14,15,16]. Radiofrequency ablation is most effective when reserved for treating three or fewer lesions, < 3.5 cm in diameter, and that are not in close proximity to large blood vessels owing to the heat-sink effect [14]. Stereotactic body radiotherapy has shown promise in early-stage disease, and reported outcomes are impressive [15], but central tumors cannot be treated with SBRT because of the low tolerance of the great vessels, main bronchus, and heart to radiation [16]. Compared with conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, ¹²⁵I-implantation treatment was more effective to control inoperable, large lung cancers, and improved the overall survival and quality of life [17]. Computed tomographic and fluoroscopic-guided brachytherapy with ¹²⁵I seeds implantation is a safe, feasible, and effective modality for the treatment of inoperable early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [18]. ¹²⁵I implants for the treatment of lung cancer or malignant thoracic tumors showed local control rates ranging from 81% at 6 months to 75.3% at 3 years [19,20].
In this study, we showed that repeated implantation of ¹²⁵I seeds brachytherapy is a feasible method to treat RMPM. Being a minimally invasive procedure, this method has, to some extent, overcome the challenges associated with surgery and radiotherapy. Implanting radioactive seeds, in principle, should be delivered by the TPS. The arranged dose should be as uniform as possible: sources are typically arranged in a straight line, parallel to each other, and the radioactive source (particles) are equidistant. In this group, the total radiation dose was increased by 10-15% than the conventional prescription dose. With the increased dose, the local control effect and inflammatory response was increased. In fact, as per the plan of implantation, pulmonary metastases can be effectively controlled and will not recur within six months. We found a high incidence of blood in the sputum and postoperative pneumothorax, although this was not serious. While performing the puncture, if the needle runs along the vascular bundles carefully avoiding cutting the blood vessels and trachea, these complications can be reduced. In order to avoid pneumothorax of double-lung, treatment of unilateral multiple metastases of the lung and the same lobe requirements is recommended to minimize the number of puncture.
Pulmonary metastases are hematogones metastasis, and are diagnosed late as they usually show no respiratory symptoms, and are rarely suitable for surgery. Like our study, all had undergone various treatments such as chemotherapy and TACE. In our study, CR + PR was documented in 81.54%, 78.46%, and 78.46% of patients at 1, 2, and 6 months after implantation, respectively, which are satisfactory results. Zhang et al. [21] studied CT-guided radioactive ¹²⁵I seed implantation treatment of multiple pulmonary metastases of HCC (27 cases), wherein all patients had ≥ 2 metastases, and the survival rates at 1 and 2 years were 67% and 30.8%, respectively. Li et al. [22] studied feasibility of ¹²⁵I brachytherapy combined with sorafenib treatment in patients with multiple lung metastases after liver transplantation for HCC (8 cases): the local control rates of multiple lung metastases after orthotopic liver transplantation for HCC after 4, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months were 92.2, 82.4, 76.2, 73.3, and 72.2%, respectively. Both survival and local control rates were very similar to our study results. However, we started follow-up 1 month after implantation, and most metastases reduced after the 1-month of follow-up. Follow-up after 2 months showed that most metastases had disappeared and only ¹²⁵I seeds were remaining. For these multiple pulmonary metastases, ¹²⁵I seeds brachytherapy has so far been a curative treatment.
Our study has some limitations. The sample size was small and only used for evaluation of local control of pulmonary metastases. Further, most of the patients had undergone multiple treatments such as chemotherapy and TACE among others, with continued progression to multiple lung metastases, thereby causing loss of confidence in the patients. Under these circumstances, the high rate of local-control multiple pulmonary metastases with seeds implantation provided a confidence boost for affected patients. Although local implantation of ¹²⁵I seeds was a palliative treatment to control local metastases, it could not control the general progression of tumors, and most patients had died at the 23-month follow-up. Because of the continuing emergence of pulmonary metastases, implantation of ¹²⁵I seeds can be repeated. If lung function is favorable, implantation can be repeated within a short time. We hope that clinicians will be more actively involved in related research.

Conclusions

As a minimally invasive method, CT-guided ¹²⁵I bra­chytherapy is safe and effective for multiple pulmonary metastatic tumors and can achieve good short-term local control if the radiation dose is sufficient. CT-guided ¹²⁵I brachytherapy carries few complications, is simple, safe, and a good complement to conventional cancer treatment.

Acknowledgement

Science and technology development fund projects of Wuxi hospital management center (YGM1123 to Jie Li); Jiangsu Provincial Commission of Health and Family Planning (Q201615, to Jie Li); National Natural Science Foundation of China 81541156 (to Teng Wang); Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China BK20150162 (to Teng Wang); National Natural Science Foundation of China 81402487 (to Wenhuan Xu); National Natural Science Foundation of China 81301920 (to Leyuan Zhou).

Disclosure

Authors report no conflict of interest.

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