title: Benefits of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy combined with incomplete transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to evaluate the effect of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) after incomplete transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study enrolled 178 HCC patients initially treated with TACE between 2006 and 2011. Patients were included if they had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage 0 or A, ≤3 nodules with a total sum of longest diameter ≤10 cm, Child-Turcotte-Pugh score of ≤7, no major vessel invasion, and no extra-hepatic metastases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four patients achieved a complete response to TACE (group 1). Among those with incomplete response, 47 patients received other curative treatments (group 2), 37 received SABR (group 3), and 70 received non-curative treatments (group 4). The 2-year overall survival (OS) rates for groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 88 %, 81 %, 73 %, and 54 %, respectively. The corresponding 5-year OS rates were 50 %, 58 %, 53 %, and 28 %, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients treated with SABR after incomplete TACE had similar survival outcomes to those achieving complete response to TACE or receiving curative treatments. However, patients receiving non-curative treatments had significantly lower survival rates than the other groups. Therefore, if SABR was indicated at the initial diagnosis, it might be recommended after TACE failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. ekpaik@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Eun Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. mskim@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Mi-Sook
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. zzang11@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Won Il
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. ysseo@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Young Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. chcho@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Chul-Koo
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. yhj@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Hyung Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea. chulju@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Chul Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea. hepapark@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Su Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea. lull2@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Sang Bum
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea. kimyh@kirams.re.kr.
authors.forename: Young Han
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004998:Ethiodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004998:Ethiodized Oil; D004317:Doxorubicin