Lucas Struycken

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• Brunson, C., Struycken, L., Schaub, D., Ref, J., Goldberg, D., Hannallah, J., Woodhead, G., & Young, S. (2024). Comparative outcomes of trans-arterial radioembolization in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-induced HCC: a retrospective analysis. Abdominal Radiology, 49(8). doi:10.1007/s00261-024-04295-8
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  Purpose: Tumorigenesis in NAFLD/NASH-induced HCC is unique and may affect the effectiveness of trans-arterial radioembolization in this population. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare the effectiveness of trans-arterial radioembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-NASH/NAFLD liver disease. Materials and methods: Consecutive patients with HCC who underwent TARE at a single academic institution were retrospectively reviewed. Outcome measures including overall survival (OS), local progression-free survival (PFS), and hepatic PFS as assessed by modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST) were recorded. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to compare progression-free survival and overall survival. Results: 138 separate HCCs in patients treated with TARE between July 2013 and July 2022 were retrospectively identified. Etiologies of HCC included NASH/NAFLD (30/122, 22%), HCV (52/122, 43%), alcoholic liver disease (25/122, 21%), and combined ALD/HCV (14/122, 11%). NASH/NAFLD patients demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in overall survival (p = 0.928), local progression-free survival (p = 0.339), or hepatic progression-free survival between the cohorts (p = 0.946) by log-rank analysis. When NASH/NAFLD patients were compared to all combined non-NASH/NAFLD patients, there was no significant difference in OS (HR 1.1, 95% C.I. 0.32–3.79, p = 0.886), local PFS (HR 1.2, 95% C.I. 0.58–2.44, p = 0.639), or hepatic PFS (HR 1.3, 95% C.I. 0.52–3.16, p = 0.595) by log-rank analysis. Conclusion: TARE appears to be an equally effective treatment for NASH/NAFLD-induced HCC when compared to other causes of HCC. Further studies in a larger cohort with additional subgroup analyses are warranted. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.)
• Brunson, C., Struycken, L., Schaub, D., Ref, J., Goldberg, D., Hannallah, J., Woodhead, G., & Young, S. (2024). Comparative outcomes of trans-arterial radioembolization in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-induced HCC: a retrospective analysis. Abdominal radiology (New York), 49(8), 2714-2725.
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  Tumorigenesis in NAFLD/NASH-induced HCC is unique and may affect the effectiveness of trans-arterial radioembolization in this population. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare the effectiveness of trans-arterial radioembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-NASH/NAFLD liver disease.
• Woodhead, G., Lee, S., Struycken, L., Goldberg, D., Hannallah, J., & Young, S. (2024). Interventional Radiology Locoregional Therapies for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Life (Basel, Switzerland), 14(2).
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  Surgical resection remains the cornerstone of curative treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), but this option is only available to a small percentage of patients. For patients with unresectable iCCA, systemic therapy with gemcitabine and platinum-based agents represents the mainstay of treatment; however, the armamentarium has grown to include targeted molecular therapies (e.g., FGFR2 inhibitors), use of adjuvant therapy, liver transplantation in select cases, immunotherapy, and locoregional liver-directed therapies. Despite advances, iCCA remains a challenge due to the advanced stage of many patients at diagnosis. Furthermore, given the improving options for systemic therapy and the fact that the majority of iCCA patients succumb to disease progression in the liver, the role of locoregional therapies has increased. This review will focus on the expanding role of interventional radiology and liver-directed therapies in the treatment of iCCA.
• McGregor, H., Weise, L., Brunson, C., Struycken, L., Woodhead, G., & Celdran, D. (2022). Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation to Occlude the Thoracic Duct: Preclinical Studies in Swine for a Potential Alternative to Embolization. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, 33(10). doi:10.1016/j.jvir.2022.05.007
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  Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation to occlude the thoracic duct (TD) in a swine model with imaging and histologic correlation. Materials and Methods: Six swine underwent TD RF ablation. Two terminal (4 hours, 1 open and 1 percutaneous) and 4 survival (30 days, all percutaneous) studies were performed. Two 20-gauge needles were placed adjacent to the TD under direct visualization after right thoracotomy or under fluoroscopic guidance using a percutaneous transabdominal approach after intranodal lymphangiography. RF electrodes were advanced through the needles, and ablation was performed at 90°C for 90 seconds. Lymphangiography was performed, and the TD and adjacent structures were resected and examined microscopically at the end of each study period. Results: Four of 6 subjects survived the planned study period and underwent follow-up lymphangiography. Two subjects in the survival group were euthanized early—1 after developing an acute chylothorax and 1 because of gastric volvulus 14 days after ablation. Occlusion of the targeted TD segment was noted on lymphangiography in 3 of the 4 remaining subjects (2 acute and 1 survival). Histology 4 hours after RF ablation demonstrated necrosis of the TD wall and hemorrhage within the lumen. Histology at 14 and 30 days revealed fibrosis with hemosiderin-laden macrophages replacing the ablated TD. Collagen degeneration within the aortic wall involving a maximum of 60% thickness was noted in 5 of the 6 subjects. Conclusions: Percutaneous RF ablation can achieve short-segment TD occlusion. Further study is needed to improve safety and demonstrate clinical efficacy in treating TD leaks.
• McGregor, H., Weise, L., Brunson, C., Struycken, L., Woodhead, G., & Celdran, D. (2022). Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation to Occlude the Thoracic Duct: Preclinical Studies in Swine for a Potential Alternative to Embolization. Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR, 33(10), 1192-1198.
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  To investigate the feasibility of percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation to occlude the thoracic duct (TD) in a swine model with imaging and histologic correlation.
• Struycken, L., Patel, M., Kuo, P., Hennemeyer, C., Woodhead, G., & McGregor, H. (2022). Clinical and Dosimetric Implications of Calculating Lung Shunt Fraction for Hepatic 90Y Radioembolization Using SPECT/CT Versus Planar Scintigraphy. American Journal of Roentgenology, 218(4). doi:10.2214/AJR.21.26663
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  BACKGROUND. Accurate assessment of hepatopulmonary shunting, typically performed by planar scintigraphy, is critical in planning 90Y radioembolization. High lung shunt fractions (LSFs) may alter treatment. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to compare LSFs calculated from planar scintigraphy versus SPECT/CT in patients with high planar LSFs (> 15%) and to describe the potential clinical and dosimetric implications of SPECT/CT LSF calculations. METHODS. This retrospective study included 36 patients (29 men and seven women; mean age, 62.4 ± 9.8 [SD] years) who underwent 99mTc–macroaggregated albumin (MAA) planar scintigraphy for planning hepatic radioembolization, had a planar LSF greater than 15%, and underwent concurrent SPECT/CT. Clinically reported planar LSFs were recorded. SPECT/CT LSFs were retrospectively calculated using automatically generated volumetric ROIs around the lungs and liver with subsequent manual adjustments. Total lung and perfused liver doses were calculated using a medical internal radiation dose model. Values derived from planar and SPECT/CT data were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests. Multivariable regression analysis was performed of factors associated with the discrepancy in LSF between the techniques. RESULTS. Mean planar LSF was 25.1% ± 11.6%, and mean SPECT/CT LSF was 16.0% ± 9.3% (p < .001). Mean lung dose was 18.8 ± 8.0 Gy for planar LSF versus 12.3 ± 7.2 Gy for SPECT/CT LSF (p < .001). Mean perfused liver dose was 92.9 ± 36.1 Gy using planar LSF versus 102.7 ± 39.1 Gy using SPECT/CT LSF (p < .001). In multivariable analysis, a larger discrepancy in LSF between planar scintigraphy and SPECT/CT was associated with a body mass index (weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) of 26 or higher (p = .02), maximum tumor size of less than 9 cm (p = .05), and left hepatic intraarterial injection (p = .02). Fourteen of 36 patients did not undergo upfront radioembolization due to a planar LSF greater than 20% and instead underwent shunt-reducing embolization with subsequent radioembolization (n = 7), transarterial chemoembolization (n = 5), or no treatment (n = 2). Five of these 14 patients had a SPECT/CT LSF of less than 20% and would have been eligible for upfront radioembolization based on SPECT/CT LSF. Seven of 29 patients treated with radioembolization underwent prescribed dose reductions based on planar LSF; six of these patients would have qualified for standard radioembolization without dose reduction using SPECT/CT LSF. CONCLUSION. Planar scintigraphy yields greater LSFs compared with SPECT/CT, possibly leading to unnecessary shunt-reducing procedures and prescribed dose reductions. CLINICAL IMPACT. SPECT/CT should be considered for clinical LSF calculations before radioembolization in patients with high LSFs.
• Struycken, L., Patel, M., Kuo, P., Hennemeyer, C., Woodhead, G., & McGregor, H. (2022). Clinical and Dosimetric Implications of Calculating Lung Shunt Fraction for Hepatic ⁹⁰Y Radioembolization Using SPECT/CT Versus Planar Scintigraphy. American Journal of Roentgenology, 218(4), 728-737. doi:10.2214/ajr.21.26663
• Struycken, L., Patel, M., Kuo, P., Hennemeyer, C., Woodhead, G., & McGregor, H. (2022). Clinical and Dosimetric Implications of Calculating Lung Shunt Fraction for Hepatic Y Radioembolization Using SPECT/CT Versus Planar Scintigraphy. AJR. American journal of roentgenology, 218(4), 728-737.
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  Accurate assessment of hepatopulmonary shunting, typically performed by planar scintigraphy, is critical in planning Y radioembolization. High lung shunt fractions (LSFs) may alter treatment. The purpose of this study is to compare LSFs calculated from planar scintigraphy versus SPECT/CT in patients with high planar LSFs (> 15%) and to describe the potential clinical and dosimetric implications of SPECT/CT LSF calculations. This retrospective study included 36 patients (29 men and seven women; mean age, 62.4 ± 9.8 [SD] years) who underwent Tc-macroaggregated albumin (MAA) planar scintigraphy for planning hepatic radioembolization, had a planar LSF greater than 15%, and underwent concurrent SPECT/CT. Clinically reported planar LSFs were recorded. SPECT/CT LSFs were retrospectively calculated using automatically generated volumetric ROIs around the lungs and liver with subsequent manual adjustments. Total lung and perfused liver doses were calculated using a medical internal radiation dose model. Values derived from planar and SPECT/CT data were compared using Mann-Whitney tests. Multivariable regression analysis was performed of factors associated with the discrepancy in LSF between the techniques. Mean planar LSF was 25.1% ± 11.6%, and mean SPECT/CT LSF was 16.0% ± 9.3% ( < .001). Mean lung dose was 18.8 ± 8.0 Gy for planar LSF versus 12.3 ± 7.2 Gy for SPECT/CT LSF ( < .001). Mean perfused liver dose was 92.9 ± 36.1 Gy using planar LSF versus 102.7 ± 39.1 Gy using SPECT/CT LSF ( < .001). In multivariable analysis, a larger discrepancy in LSF between planar scintigraphy and SPECT/CT was associated with a body mass index (weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) of 26 or higher ( = .02), maximum tumor size of less than 9 cm ( = .05), and left hepatic intraarterial injection ( = .02). Fourteen of 36 patients did not undergo upfront radioembolization due to a planar LSF greater than 20% and instead underwent shunt-reducing embolization with subsequent radioembolization ( = 7), transarterial chemoembolization ( = 5), or no treatment ( = 2). Five of these 14 patients had a SPECT/CT LSF of less than 20% and would have been eligible for upfront radioembolization based on SPECT/CT LSF. Seven of 29 patients treated with radioembolization underwent prescribed dose reductions based on planar LSF; six of these patients would have qualified for standard radioembolization without dose reduction using SPECT/CT LSF. Planar scintigraphy yields greater LSFs compared with SPECT/CT, possibly leading to unnecessary shunt-reducing procedures and prescribed dose reductions. SPECT/CT should be considered for clinical LSF calculations before radioembolization in patients with high LSFs.
• Snow, A., Ring, A., Struycken, L., Mack, W., Koç, M., & Lang, J. E. (2021). Incidence of radiation induced sarcoma attributable to radiotherapy in adults: A retrospective cohort study in the SEER cancer registries across 17 primary tumor sites. Cancer epidemiology, 70, 101857.
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  Previous studies have noted the incidence of radiation-induced sarcomas (RIS) but have not investigated the relative risk (RR) of developing RIS based on primary tumor organ disease site. By examining data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we hypothesized that breast cancer would have a higher incidence of RIS compared to seventeen other primary cancer sites.
• Snow, A., Ring, A., Struycken, L., Mack, W., Lang, J., & Koç, M. (2021). Incidence of radiation induced sarcoma attributable to radiotherapy in adults: A retrospective cohort study in the SEER cancer registries across 17 primary tumor sites. Cancer Epidemiology, 70. doi:10.1016/j.canep.2020.101857
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  Background: Previous studies have noted the incidence of radiation-induced sarcomas (RIS) but have not investigated the relative risk (RR) of developing RIS based on primary tumor organ disease site. By examining data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we hypothesized that breast cancer would have a higher incidence of RIS compared to seventeen other primary cancer sites. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study that examined patients from SEER registries between 1973 and 2013. We included patients aged 18 years or older who were diagnosed with cancer and those diagnosed with a cancer who subsequently developed a sarcoma. We excluded patients with missing information on initial radiotherapy treatment or stage. RIS was defined as those who developed a secondary sarcoma near the site of their original malignancy and after a 24-month latency period. Results: Our patients had a mean age of 60 years and follow up time of 9.2 years. Breast cancer comprised the majority with 693,701(36.8%) patients of which 161 (0.02%) had a secondary sarcoma. Of the 359 patients with secondary sarcomas, 242 (67.4%) had RIS. Breast cancer had the highest number of RIS patients at 126 compared to all combined non-breast cancer sites at 116. The RR of RIS in breast cancer versus 19 other primary cancer sites was 1.21 (CI: 1.01–1.45, p < 0.03, adjusted for age at primary diagnosis, gender, and latency). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that breast cancer has a higher risk of developing RIS compared to other solid cancers.