3-tesla mri response to tace in hcc (liver cancer)

Conditions: Adult Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma; Advanced Adult Primary Liver Cancer; Localized Resectable Adult Primary Liver Cancer; Localized Unresectable Adult Primary Liver Cancer; Stage A Adult Primary Liver Cancer (BCLC); Stage B Adult Primary Liver Cancer (BCLC)

Summary: this pilot clinical trial examines how well different imaging biomarkers acquired using 3-telsa magnetic resonance imaging (mri) methods perform in determining treatment response to transarterial chemoembolization (tace) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. compared to conventional imaging, multi-parametric 3-tesla mri offers the ability to quantitatively measure tissue structural, functional, cellular, and molecular properties, providing a more robust, clinically relevant method for assessing cancer response to therapy.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * subjects must have signed an institutional review board (irb)-approved informed consent document * subjects must have verified unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc), diagnosed on the basis of clinical and imaging criteria * subjects must be classified as tnm stage i, ii, or iii; alternatively, subjects may be classified as barcelona clinic liver cancer (bclc) stage a or b * subjects must be scheduled to undergo transarterial chemoembolization (tace) * subjects must have at least 1 lesion being targeted by tace that is \> 2 cm in the longest cross-sectional (axial plane) diameter * subjects must satisfy one of the following conditions pertaining to their eligibility to undergo orthotopic liver transplantation (olt): * hcc that is within milan criteria, i.e., tace is indicated as a "bridge" to olt (group i); or * hcc that is outside milan criteria, i.e., tace is indicated as a means of "down-staging" into transplant eligibility (group ii) exclusion criteria: * subjects who have received prior treatment for hcc (prior surgical procedures not related to hcc are allowed) * subjects who have undergone prior radioembolization * subjects with a central venous line * subjects who have any type of biomedical implant, device and/or ferromagnetic material that can be displaced, perturbed, or otherwise malfunction due to mechanical, electronic, or magnetic means; these items may include: * metallic fragments or shrapnel (such as from war wounds) * cerebral aneurysm clips, biopsy marker clips * vascular access ports (as are used with intravenous chemotherapy) * cochlear implants, pacemakers, neurostimulators, biostimulators, and electronic infusion pumps \*\*implanted materials other than those verified as being rated "magnetic resonance \[mr\] safe" or "mr conditional 6" will not be allowed on study * creatinine \>= 1.5 times upper limit of normal * estimated glomerular filtration rate (egfr) \< 30 ml/min * subjects who are pregnant or nursing * subjects who have had past allergic or other adverse reactions to intravenous injection of magnevist® (gadopentetate dimeglumine) or other gadolinium-containing contrast agents * subjects who exhibit noticeable anxiety, claustrophobia, or vertigo when moved into the scanner * subjects incapable of giving informed written consent, for the following reasons: * inability to adhere to the experimental protocols for any reason * inability to communicate with the research team * mental disability, altered mental status, confusion, or psychiatric disorders * prisoners or others susceptible to coercion