title: Stereotactic body radiation therapy: A novel treatment modality for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignancy in the world and the most common cause of cancer-related death. Surgical resection is the standard of care for solitary liver-confined HCC and provides the best long-term survival, however, most HCCs are diagnosed at an intermediate to advanced stage, and few meaningful therapeutic options are available at this point. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a type of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) that delivers radiotherapy (RT) accurately and precisely to the tumor, more so than conventionally fractionated RT. Several series report high rates of local control and low incidence of complications in SBRT for inoperable HCC. Herein, we discuss the emerging role of SBRT as well as current indications, implementation, efficacy and toxicities after SBRT. It was noted that SBRT was a safe and effective therapeutic option for HCC lesions unsuitable for standard locoregional therapies, with acceptable local control rates and low treatment-related toxicity. The significant correlation between local control (LC) and higher doses and between LC and overall survival (OS) supports the clinical value of SBRT in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, CyberKnife Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital.
authors.forename: Maobin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Huanhuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xianliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Lujun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xishan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome