Implementation of radioembolization with Yttrium-90 microspheres in the Netherlands

In February of 2016, the Dutch National Health Care Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland) published a position paper for selective internal radiation therapy with Yttrium-labelled microspheres where it was stated that this technology can be offered as salvage therapy for patients with non-resectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer origin.

In order to proper apply of this technology within the package, the scientific associations and patient organizations have drawn up an clinical protocol with list of indications that can be found in Appendix 8 of the original report from the Zorginstituut Nederland.

Dutch National Health Care Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland) has confirmed scope of surveillance on implementation of radioembolization with Yttrium-90 microspheres as salvage therapy for patients with non-resectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer origin in the Netherlands. The focus will be on evolution of cost and volume of procedures, concentration of care in few designated centers and implementation of clinical protocol for use of procedure.

Eligible patients should have non-resectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer origin with adequate hepatic function, extrahepatic disease can consist of several lymph node metastases, WHO status 0-2, life expectancy should be at least 3 months

Procedure should be performed in expert centers. There are about 9 centers in the Netherlands:

• UMC Groningen
• UMC St. Radboud Nijmegen
• UMC Utrecht
• VUmc Amsterdam
• AMC Amsterdam
• LUMC Leiden
• Erasmus MC Rotterdam
• UMC Maastricht
• Het NKI-AVL Amsterdam

Clinical data in relation to efficacy and safety of procedure should be registered in registry for patient with colorectal cancer (Prospective National CRC Cohort, NCT02070146)

Read original story in Dutch here.