Liver failure is one of the most severe complications in patients undergoing liver surgery for hepatic malignancies. However, it can be predicted through preoperative assessment of liver function. Technetium-99m galactosyl human serum albumin (\[99mTc\] Tc-GSA), combined with single-photon emission computed tomography fused with computed tomography (\[99mTc\] Tc-GSA SPECT/CT), is widely used in Asia due to its superiority in predicting postoperative liver failure. Unfortunately, its clinical use in Western countries remains limited due to concerns about disease transmission.
In 2022, the Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine at Rigshospitalet optimized the in-house production of \[99mTc\] Tc-GSA under European regulations, and in April 2025, received approval from the Danish Medicines Agency for its clinical use. This study aims to evaluate, for the first time, the diagnostic accuracy of \[99mTc\] Tc-GSA SPECT/CT in quantifying liver function in European patients with hepatic tumors.
Hypothesis: \[99mTc\] Tc-GSA SPECT/CT is capable of and superior to indocyanine green clearance test (ICG), Child-Pug score, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and ultrasound elastography in quantifying liver function and predicting surgical outcomes in a Danish cohort of patients with liver tumors. Perceived quality of life may be associated with postoperative complications. However, postoperative complications and survival can be more accurately predicted when quality of life is assessed in combination with preoperative liver function and clinical conditions.
Objectives
Primary objectives:
1. To evaluate the correlation between \[99mTc\] Tc-GSA SPECT/CT and established liver function assessments, including ICG clearance, Child-Pugh score, MELD score, and ultrasound elastography.
2. To compare the discriminative ability of \[99mTc\] Tc-GSA SPECT/CT with existing liver function tests in predicting postoperative complications.
Secondary objectives:
3. To assess the correlation of \[99mTc\] Tc-GSA SPECT/CT, ICG clearance, Child-Pugh score, MELD score, and ultrasound elastography with postoperative outcomes.
4. To develop and internally validate a multivariable predictive model combining the best predictive liver function test with preoperative clinical characteristics to predict postoperative complications.