Treatment of primary hepatobiliary cancers with conformal radiation therapy and regional chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To develop more effective regional therapy for patients with unresectable primary hepatobiliary cancer using concurrent conformal radiation therapy and intraarterial hepatic (IAH) fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd).


METHODS
Twenty-six patients with unresectable, nonmetastatic primary hepatobiliary cancer were treated with concurrent IAH FdUrd (0.2 mg/kg/d) and conformal hepatic radiation therapy (1.5 to 1.65 Gy per fraction twice per day). The total dose of radiation administered to the tumor depended on the fraction of normal liver excluded from the high-dose volume. All patients were assessed for toxicity, hepatobiliary relapse, and survival; 17 patients were assessable for response (eight had cholangiocarcinoma not assessable by computed tomographic [CT] scan and one progressed distantly during treatment). The median potential follow-up duration was 27 months.


RESULTS
Whole-liver radiation was administered to six patients with diffuse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Eleven patients with localized HCC and nine with cholangiocarcinoma received focal radiation to a dose of 48 to 72.6 Gy. An objective response for assessable patients was observed in 11 of 11 patients treated with focal radiation, but only one of six patients treated with whole-liver radiation. Whole-liver radiation accounted for five of seven patients with > or = grade 3 toxicity and four of six local treatment failures. Two patients had nonfatal radiation hepatitis. The median survival duration for patients with localized hepatobiliary cancer was 19 months, while patients with diffuse HCC had a median survival duration of 4 months. The rate of actuarial freedom from hepatobiliary progression in patients with localized disease was 72% at 24 months.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that three-dimensional planned focal liver radiation and IAH FdUrd can produce a high, durable response rate and an encouraging median survival duration in patients with nondiffuse, unresectable primary hepatobiliary cancer.
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109.
J M
JM
Robertson
T S
TS
Lawrence
L M
LM
Dworzanin
J C
JC
Andrews
S
S
Walker
M L
ML
Kessler
D J
DJ
DuRoss
W D
WD
Ensminger
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D002759:Adenoma, Bile Duct / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome