title: Internal pair production of 90Y permits hepatic localization of microspheres using routine PET: proof of concept.
abstract: Radioembolization with 90Y microspheres represents a novel transarterial radiation treatment for liver tumors. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the findings of postimplantation PET/CT of 90Y glass microspheres.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 2 patients with liver metastases (1 neuroendocrine, 1 colorectal) underwent PET/CT after radioembolization. Four patients underwent imaging at 1 mo to assess response and confirm PET/CT findings; 1 patient underwent PET/CT at 4 d after 90Y implantation. Patients were followed for adverse events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Standard PET/CT enabled the localization of 90Y glass microspheres for all patients. None of the patients experienced adverse events related to nontarget deposition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standard PET/CT may be used to assess the localization of 90Y glass microspheres. This approach provides a simple, rapid, and universally applicable method of confirming microsphere deposition. With further validation, this technique may potentially become the standard of care for confirming microsphere distribution.
authors.affiliation: Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago Illinois 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Vanessa L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: Abdulredha A H
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Esmail
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Stewart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spies
authors.forename: Riad
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salem
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes