This pilot clinical trial compares the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound to contrast-enhanced magnetic response imaging (MRI), the current clinical standard, in predicting treatment response in patients with liver cancer receiving transarterial chemoembolization with drug eluting beads. Comparing results of diagnostic procedures before and after transarterial chemoembolization may help doctors predict a patient's response to treatment and help plan the best treatment. It is not yet known if contrast-enhanced ultrasound works better than contrast-enhanced MRI in predicting treatment response in patients with liver cancer.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate if contrast-enhanced ultrasound of hepatocellular carcinomas at one to two weeks and one month correlate with the clinical evaluation standard of a contrast-enhanced MRI at one month (the current clinical standard) in patients who have undergone transarterial chemoembolization with drug eluting beads. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Establish whether changes in quantitative blood flow parameters relative to baseline correlate with effective embolization.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
15
Given IV
Undergo contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging
Undergo contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Ability of contrast-enhanced ultrasound to predict response to transarterial chemoembolization with drug eluting beads
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of hepatocellular carcinomas at one month will be evaluated to see if it correlates with the clinical evaluation standard of a contrast-enhanced MRI at one month. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value will be calculated for the contrast-enhanced ultrasound exam. Correlations between these findings and both contrast-enhanced MRI findings and patient outcomes will be compared using the Fisher exact test. Inter- and intra-observer variability will also be calculated.
Time frame: Up to 1 month after transarterial chemoembolization
Change in quantitative blood flow parameters
Whether changes in quantitative blood flow parameters relative to baseline correlate with effective embolization will be established.
Time frame: Baseline to up to 1 month after transarterial chemoembolization
Quantitative parameters of tumor vascularity
Time frame: Baseline to up to 1 month after transarterial chemoembolization
Changes in perfusion
Time frame: Baseline to up to 1 month after transarterial chemoembolization
Changes in contrast fill time
Time frame: Baseline to up to 1 month after transarterial chemoembolization
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