©The Author(s) 2026. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 28, 2026; 32(8): 113861
Published online Feb 28, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i8.113861
Published online Feb 28, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i8.113861
Use of yttrium-90 radioembolization to control liver metastases in pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma and pancreatoblastoma: Two case reports
Nebojsa Skorupan, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
David Sperling, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, United States
Charles Nutting, Image Guided Therapy, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, United States
Markku Miettinen, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Allen Cohn, Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, Denver, CO 80218, United States
Christine Alewine, Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, United States
Christine Alewine, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Author contributions: Skorupan N and Alewine C conceived the project and wrote the original manuscript; Skorupan N created the figures and tables, and conducted the formal analysis; Sperling D and Nutting C provided radiological expertise and contributed imaging data; Cohn A provided critical patient data; Miettinen M provided the pathological specimen analysis and expertise; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Intramural Research Program of the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, No. ZIA BC 012041.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient in case 1. The patient in case 2 succumbed to her disease before consent for publication of this case report could be obtained.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Dr. Alewine reports grants from National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research, during the conduct of the study; non-financial support from Minneamrita, ProDa LLC, Astra Zeneca, and HCW Biologics, outside the submitted work.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Christine Alewine, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Cancer Center, One Medical Center Drive, Williamson 571, Lebanon, NH 03756, United States. christine.alewine@dartmouth.edu
Received: September 8, 2025
Revised: November 10, 2025
Accepted: January 6, 2026
Published online: February 28, 2026
Processing time: 158 Days and 18.6 Hours
Revised: November 10, 2025
Accepted: January 6, 2026
Published online: February 28, 2026
Processing time: 158 Days and 18.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: We report the use of yttrium-90 (Y-90) radioembolization in pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma and adult pancreatoblastoma hepatic metastases. Both patients achieved durable partial responses with multiple Y-90 treatments over extended periods, and tolerated the therapy well. These rare exocrine pancreatic malignancies exhibited marked radiosensitivity, supporting early consideration of Y-90 radioembolization in liver-dominant disease. The successful integration with systemic therapies and ability to repeat treatments safely over multi-year intervals highlights Y-90’s potential as a cornerstone locoregional therapy for these challenging cancers.