Stereotactic body radiation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Overview

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer in adults and it is frequently associated with cirrhosis. Surgical resection or orthotopic liver transplantation can be curative but only 30-40% of patients may benefit from curative radical treatment. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as a promising non-invasive therapy for patients with unresectable HCC and it may potentially serve as a bridging therapy for patients awaiting transplantation. There are a limited number of clinical trials examining the use of SBRT in patients with HCC and very good local tumor control and acceptable toxicities have been reported. This article provides an overview on the use of SBRT in the management of HCC.