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Li et al. Hepatoma Res 2020;6:39 Hepatoma Research
DOI: 10.20517/2394-5079.2020.13

Review Open Access

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for the
management of HCC

Jia-Xin Li, Hong Wu, Yong Zeng

Department of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
Correspondence to: Prof. Yong Zeng, Department of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041,
Sichuan, China. E-mail: zengyong@medmail.com.cn

How to cite this article: Li JX, Wu H, Zeng Y. Stereotactic body radiation therapy for the management of HCC. Hepatoma Res
2020;6:39. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-5079.2020.13

Received: 10 Feb 2020 First Decision: 27 Mar 2020 Revised: 28 May 2020 Accepted: 8 Jun 2020 Published: 10 Jul 2020
Academic Editor: Ying-Hong Shi Copy Editor: Cai-Hong Wang Production Editor: Tian Zhang

Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor in China. After years of efforts, there has been
great progress in the management of liver cancer, but overall, it is still not ideal. At present, there are many
therapies for liver cancer, including surgical resection, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), ablation,
molecular targeted therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and so on.
Studies have reported that TACE combined with radiotherapy can shrink the tumor, and some of the remainder
will be resectable, resulting in cure. For HCC with tumor thrombus, the tumor thrombus was reduced and then
resected after neoadjuvant radiotherapy. The survival time of the patients with portal vein tumor thrombus was
significantly longer than that of the patients without neoadjuvant radiotherapy. Large liver cancer will be reduced
to small liver cancer after comprehensive treatment, which can be transformed into stereotactic radiotherapy
or radiofrequency ablation, and can also be palliative to radical treatment. Individualized and multidisciplinary
therapy for liver cancer is the direction of future development. More clinical evidence-based level of radiotherapy
treatment of liver cancer should be done in the future.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, stereotactic body radiation therapy, tumor thrombus, combined therapy

INTRODUCTION
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor that seriously endangers human health.
At present, the main treatment for small HCC is surgical resection and radiofrequency ablation, but some
patients are not suitable for surgery or radiofrequency ablation. In recent years, with the development
of radiotherapy technology, the application of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is increasing.
Some retrospective studies have shown that its therapeutic effect on small liver tumors is equivalent to
that of traditional surgery or radiofrequency ablation, and that it can also be used as a radical treatment

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