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IntroductionTo evaluate the outcomes after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for locally advanced primary liver cancer.Materials and methodsPatients with locally advanced liver cancer unsuitable for other loco-regional treatments were treated with SBRT with 50–60 Gy in 3–12 fractions in two consecutive prospective trials.ResultsA total of 83 patients were included, of whom 14 were excluded, leaving 69 evaluable patients with 74 treated lesions. A total of 50 patients had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and 11 patients had cholangiocarcinoma (CCC). Approximately 76% had a Child-Pugh (CP) score of A, while 54% had an albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) score of 1. With a median follow-up of 29 months, the median overall survival (OS) was 11 months, and the progression-free survival (PFS) was 18 months. The ALBI score was an important predictor of overall survival (HR 2.094, p = 0.001), which remained significant also in the multivariate analysis. Patients with an ALBI grade of ≥1 had an OS of 4 months versus 23 months in patients with an ALBI grade of 1 (p ≤ 0.001). The local control at 1 and 2 years was 91%. Thirteen patients developed grade ≥ 3 toxicities, of whom nine patients experienced liver toxicities. Patients with a higher ALBI score had a high risk for developing hepatic failure (OR 6.136, p = 0.006).DiscussionSBRT is a very effective treatment with low toxicity and should be considered as a local treatment option in patients with HCC and CCC. Patients with a higher ALBI grade are at risk for developing toxicities after SBRT and have a significantly lower survival rate.

The aim of this prospective observational trial was to evaluate the efficacy, toxicity and quality of life after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to assess the results of this treatment in comparison to trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Patients with HCC, treated with TACE or SBRT, over a period of 12 months, enrolled in the study. The primary endpoint was feasibility; secondary endpoints were toxicity, quality of life (QOL), local progression (LP) and overall survival (OS). Between 06/2016 and 06/2017, 19 patients received TACE and 20 SBRT, 2 of whom were excluded due to progression. The median follow-up was 31 months. The QOL remained stable before and after treatment and was comparable in both treatment groups. Five patients developed grade ≥ 3 toxicities in the TACE group and 3 in the SBRT group. The cumulative incidence of LP after 1-, 2- and 3-years was 6, 6, 6% in the SBRT group and 28, 39, and 65% in the TACE group (p = 0.02). The 1- and 2- years OS rates were 84% and 47% in the TACE group and 44% and 39% in the SBRT group (p = 0.20). In conclusion, SBRT is a well-tolerated local treatment with a high local control rates and can be safely delivered, while preserving the QOL of HCC patients.

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a disease entity comprising diverse epithelial tumors, which are categorized according to their anatomical location as intrahepatic (iCCA), perihilar (pCCA), distal (dCCA) cholangiocarcinomas, and gallbladder carcinomas (GBC), with distinct epidemiology, biology, and prognosis. Complete surgical resection is the mainstay in operable BTC as it is the only potentially curative treatment option. Nevertheless, even after curative (R0) resection, the 5-year survival rate ranges between 20 and 40% and the disease free survival rates (DFS) is approximately 48–65% after one year and 23–35% after three years without adjuvant treatment. Improvements in adjuvant chemotherapy have improved the DFS, but the role of adjuvant radiotherapy is unclear. On the other hand, more than 50% of the patients present with unresectable disease at the time of diagnosis, which limits the prognosis to a few months without treatment. Herein, we review the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma in the curative and palliative setting.