Selective Internal Radiation Combined with Chemotherapy Maintains the Quality of Life in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinomas

Abstract

Background: In the Yttrium-90 Microspheres in Cholangiocarcinoma (MISPHEC) single-arm phase 2 trial, concomitant chemotherapy and selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) showed antitumor activity as a first-line treatment of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICCs). In this sub-analysis, we aimed to evaluate one of the secondary endpoints, the health-related quality of life (QoL), evaluated with an EORTC QLQ-C30 instrument at the baseline and during treatment. Methods: The MISPHEC trial included treatment-naïve patients with an unresectable ICC between November 2013 and June 2016. Patients received concomitant first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine for 8 cycles; SIRT was administered during cycle 1 (for patients with unilobar disease) or cycles 1 and 3 (for patients with bilobar disease) using glass Yttrium-90 microspheres. We evaluated the QoL—measured by the QLQ-C30 questionnaire—at the baseline, every 8 weeks during chemotherapy and follow-up, between 12 and 15 weeks after embolization and every 12 weeks after a liver resection if applicable. Results: A total of 41 patients were included, of which 34 completed questionnaires at the baseline. No clinically significant changes in the global health score or the sub-scales of the QLQ-C30 were observed during follow-up. The physical, social and role function mean score worsened during treatment and fatigue, nausea and pain scores increased although the differences were not clinically significant. In patients undergoing subsequent surgery, the QoL was not impaired. Conclusions: A combination of SIRT and chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin as the first-line treatment of unresectable ICCs was found to maintain the QoL.