A New Era of Liver Transplantation – Radioembolization, a Novel Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Liver failure is one of the major causes of death worldwide and a growing health problem. Now-a-days liver transplantation has been an accepted method to treat many liver disorders. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is a life-saving procedure for end-stage liver failure. Liver transplantation has some complications involved such as immunosuppression, graft rejection and various side effects. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequently occurring malignancies and orthotopic liver transplantation is not recommended for patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma. Today, transplantation is entering a new era characterized by a growing interest in novel methods for the treatment of disease that do not necessarily require transferring solid organs between patients. Radioembolization (RE) with radiolabeled microspheres, generally Yttrium-90 microspheres is one such novel method. In this review, a brief emphasis on radioembolization has been described.