Treatment of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma of the Liver with Yttrium-90 Microsphere Embolization.

We present a case of successful treatment of chemoresistant hepatic lymphoma using yttrium-90 micropheres. A 41 year-old male with a history of hepatitis C presented with fatigue, night sweats, right upper quadrant pain, a 20 pound weight loss, and hypercalcemia. CT scan of the abdomen revealed a 13.4 x 10.0 cm mass involving the right hepatic lobe, along with portohepatic, celiac, and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Ultrasound-guided core biopsy of the portohepatic mass showed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The patient had a partial response to R-CHOP, and was subsequently treated with 3 additional chemotherapeutic regimens. Despite this extensive therapy, as well as surgical resection of hepatic lesions, he had residual lymphoma within the liver. Due to inadequate chemosensitivity, he was not a candidate for stem cell transplantation. Repeat biopsy showed loss of CD20 expression, eliminating radioimmunotherapy as an option. Because the residual lymphoma was confined to the liver, the patient was treated with yttrium-90 microspheres (TheraSphere®). The patient had a significant improvement in his abdominal pain. Furthermore, six weeks after treatment, a complete response in the hepatic lesions was documented by PET/CT scan. Although the patient later developed recurrent disease outside of the liver, the case clearly demonstrates the potential clinical utility of this approach in properly selected lymphoma patients. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case documenting clinical activity of yttrium-90 microspheres for lymphoma.