Neoadjuvant Radiation Lobectomy As an Alternative to Portal Vein Embolization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Surgical resection is considered first line and potentially curative for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma. However, many patients presenting with small tumors might not qualify as candidates for surgical resection given their small future liver remnant (FLR); such patients tend to undergo neoadjuvant therapies prior to resection to minimize the risk of hepatic decompensation after major hepatic resection. While there are several techniques for inducing FLR hypertrophy, a recent approach in hepatocellular carcinoma is Y90 radiation lobectomy (RL). RL was discovered serendipitously after noticing contralateral lobar hypertrophy in patients who had ipsilateral lobar Y90 radioembolization. This is now proactively used in bridging patients to surgical resection by inducing FLR hypertrophy. In this article we discuss the evolution of RL as an alternative to portal vein embolization which has been long used to induce FLR hypertrophy, albeit mostly in metastatic liver disease.