Role of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Aseel Y Abualnil; Ritesh Kumar; Mridula A George; Alexander Lalos; Mihir M Shah; Matthew P Deek; Salma K Jabbour

doi:10.1016/j.soc.2023.06.012

Role of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2024 Jan;33(1):173-195. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2023.06.012. Epub 2023 Aug 25.

Authors

Aseel Y Abualnil¹, Ritesh Kumar¹, Mridula A George², Alexander Lalos³, Mihir M Shah⁴, Matthew P Deek¹, Salma K Jabbour⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
² Department of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
³ Division of Gasteroenterology and Hepatology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
⁴ Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30342, USA.
⁵ Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. Electronic address: jabbousk@cinj.rutgers.edu.

PMID: 37945142
DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2023.06.012

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)is a common type of liver cancer with a poor prognosis, especially in patients with advanced stages or underlying liver disease. While surgical resection, liver transplantation, and ablation therapies have traditionally been the mainstay of treatment for HCC, radiation therapy has become increasingly recognized as an effective alternative, particularly for those who are not surgical candidates. Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is a highly precise form of radiation therapy that delivers very high doses of radiation to the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Several studies have reported favorable outcomes with SBRT in HCC treatment. Moreover, SBRT can be used to treat recurrent HCC after prior treatment, offering a potentially curative approach in select cases. While SBRT has demonstrated its efficacy and safety in treating HCC, future studies are needed to further investigate the potential role of SBRT in combination with other treatments for HCC.

Keywords: Bridge-therapy; Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); Radiation therapy; Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT); Transarterial chemoembolization.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / pathology
Combined Modality Therapy
Humans
Liver Neoplasms* / pathology
Radiosurgery*
Treatment Outcome