TARGET Study Confirms the Significance of Tumor Absorbed Dose of Tumor Response and Overall Survival

Summary
TARGET is a global real-world study set across eight countries that confirms TheraSphere as safe and effective treatment for HCC, demonstrating reproducible clinical outcomes across a broad patient population. Similar to the LEGACY study and DOSISPHERE-01 trial, TARGET validates the relationship between a higher tumor absorbed dose (> 225 Gy) to tumor response (71% ORR) and overall survival (20.3 months). Hear from Professor Marnix Lam and Dr. Riad Salem, two of the global PIs, as they discuss the trial design, outcomes, and implications to Y-90 treatment practices.

Speakers

Prof. Dr. Marnix G.E.H. Lam
Professor of Nuclear Medicine, Chief of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, The Netherlands

Dr Lam is trained as a Nuclear Medicine Physician and Radiologist. He is a staff member of the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine in the UMC Utrecht since 2007. During his ‘Dutch Cancer Society (KWF)’ research fellowship on translational and clinical research (2010–2014), he completed a 2-year research fellowship at Stanford University. In 2013, he was appointed Chief of Nuclear Medicine, and in 2016 he was appointed professor of Nuclear Medicine. Translational research in molecular medicine has been the scope of his scientific work, with a focus on oncology. The aim is to bring new radiopharmaceuticals to clinical practice. This specifically resulted in the introduction of new oncological treatment modalities in the Netherlands, such as bone seeking radiopharmaceuticals for the palliation of metastatic bone pain (153Sm-EDTMP, 188Re-HEDP, 223Ra-chloride), protein-receptor radionuclide therapy (177Lu-PSMA, 177Lu-HA-dotatate), and radioembolization for treatment of hepatic malignancies (90Y microspheres and 166Ho microspheres). Current research is focussed on dosimetry of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, image-guided treatment technology, alfa- and beta-emitting isotopes for therapeutic purposes, intra-arterial and intra-tumor treatment approaches, and radio-immunotherapy.

Riad Salem, MD, MBA
Professor of Radiology, Surgery, and Medicine, Vice-Chair, Image-Guided Therapy and Section Chief, Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois

Dr Salem's areas of interest include the use of image-guided techniques for the treatment of liver cancer including chemoembolisation, bland embolization, and radioembolisation. He is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, where he was recipient of the Wood Gold Medal. He then completed his radiology residency in Washington, DC and a fellowship in interventional radiology (University of Pennsylvania), as well as a Master’s in Business Administration (Finance). He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society and a Fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology. He has delivered more than 600 lectures nationally and internationally, and published extensively on the subject of interventional oncology, with more than 300 publications and an h index of 74. Recently, he completed his term on the NCCN guidelines panel for hepatocellular carcinoma (2007–2010). His current research focus on hepatocellular carcinoma includes advances in minimally invasive therapies as well as imaging methodologies following locoregional treatment. He serves as PI of the international, randomized phase III trial involving radioembolization and sorafenib (STOP-HCC). Most recently, his research focus has shifted with the completion of the first, prospective, FDA-approved trial of Prostate Artery Embolization for BPH, and is now working to establish PAE as a standard of care treatment.