A mid-treatment break and reassessment maintains tumor control and reduces toxicity in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an effective treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [1] with increasing utilization [2]. However, broad adoption has been limited over concerns regarding radiation induced liver toxicity [3,4], as many patients with HCC have underlying liver dysfunction secondary to cirrhosis and/or a history of prior liver directed therapies. While clinical features can aid in identifying patients at risk for toxicity [3], there remains significant variability and heterogeneity in an individual ’s tolerance to treatment which limits the ability to accurately predict which patients are at high risk for toxicity.
Source: Radiotherapy and Oncology - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research