Repeated stereotactic ablative radiotherapy using CyberKnife for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

REPeated mAgnetic resonance Image-guided stereotactic body Radiotherapy (MRIg-reSBRT) for oligometastatic patients: REPAIR, a mono-institutional retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Oligo-progression or further recurrence is an open issue in the multi-integrated management of oligometastatic disease (OMD). Re-irradiation with stereotactic body radiotherapy (re-SBRT) technique could represent a valuable treatment option to improve OMD clinical outcomes. MRI-guided allows real-time visualization of the target volumes and online adaptive radiotherapy (oART). The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity profile of MRI-guided repeated SBRT (MRIg-reSBRT) in the OMD setting and propose a re-SBRT classification.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed patients (pts) with recurrent liver metastases or abdominal metastatic lesions between 1 and 5 centimeters from liver candidate to MRIg-reSBRT showing geometric overlap between the different SBRT courses and assessing whether they were in field (type 1) or not (type 2).

RESULTS

Eighteen pts completed MRIg-reSBRT course for 25 metastatic hepatic/perihepatic lesions from July 2019 to January 2020. A total of 20 SBRT courses: 15 Type 1 re-SBRT (75%) and 5 Type 2 re-SBRT (25%) was delivered. Mean interval between the first SBRT and MRIg-reSBRT was 8,6 months. Mean prescribed dose for the first treatment was 43 Gy (range 24-50 Gy, mean BEDα/β10=93), while 41 Gy (range 16-50 Gy, mean BEDα/β10=92) for MRIg-reSBRT. Average liver dose was 3,9 Gy (range 1-10 Gy) and 3,7 Gy (range 1,6-8 Gy) for the first SBRT and MRIg-reSBRT, respectively. No acute or late toxicities were reported at a median follow-up of 10,7 months. The 1-year OS and PFS was 73,08% and 50%, respectively. Overall Clinical Benefit was 54%.

CONCLUSIONS

MRIg-reSBRT could be considered an effective and safe option in the multi-integrated treatment of OMD.

Biochemical Safety of SBRT to Multiple Intrahepatic Lesions for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

We aim to better characterize stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)-related hepatic biochemical toxicity in patients with multiple intrahepatic lesions from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with HCC who underwent SBRT for 2 or more synchronous or metachronous liver lesions. We collected patient characteristics and dosimetric data (mean liver dose [MLD], cumulative effective volume [Veff], cumulative volume of liver receiving 15 Gy [V15Gy], and cumulative planning target volume [PTV]) along with liver-related toxicity (measured by albumin-bilirubin [ALBI] and Child-Pugh [CP] scores). A linear mixed-effects model was used to assess the effect of multi-target SBRT on changes in ALBI.

Results

There were 25 patients and 56 lesions with median follow-up of 29 months. Eleven patients had synchronous lesions, and 14 had recurrent lesions treated with separate SBRT courses. Among those receiving multiple SBRT courses, there were 7 lesions with overlap of V15Gy (median V15Gy overlap: 35 mL, range: 0.5-388 mL). There was no association between cumulative MLD, Veff, V15Gy, or PTV and change in ALBI. Four of 25 patients experienced non-classic radiation-induced liver disease (RILD), due to an increase of CP score by ≥2 points 3 to 6 months after SBRT. Sixteen of 25 patients experienced an increase in ALBI grade by 1 or more points 3 to 6 months after SBRT. Comparing the groups that received SBRT in a single course versus multiple courses revealed no statistically significant differences in liver toxicity.

Conclusion

Liver SBRT for multiple lesions in a single or in separate courses is feasible and with acceptable risk of hepatotoxicity. Prospective studies with a larger cohort are needed to better characterize safety in this population.

Efficacy of a Second Course of Radiation for Patients With Metachronous Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE

Liver-directed radiation therapy is an effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but metachronous lesions develop outside the irradiated field in >50% of patients. We hypothesized that irradiation of these new lesions would produce an outcome like that of patients receiving a first course (C1) of treatment.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We included patients with HCC who received a second course (C2) of radiation therapy >1 month after C1. Toxicity was defined as Child-Pugh score increase ≥2 within 6 months posttreatment (binary model) and as the change in albumin-bilirubin during the year after treatment (longitudinal model). Overall survival (OS) and local failure (LF) were captured at the patient and lesion level, respectively; both were summarized with Kaplan-Meier estimates. Predictors of toxicity and OS were assessed using generalized linear mixed and Cox regression models, respectively.

RESULTS

Of 340 patients with HCC, 47 underwent irradiation for metachronous HCC, receiving similar prescription dose in C1/C2. Median follow-up was 17 months after C1 and 15 months after C2. Twenty-two percent of patients experienced toxicity after C1, and 25% experienced toxicity after C2. Worse baseline albumin-bilirubin predicted toxicity in both binary (odds ratio, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.46-3.94; P = .0005) and longitudinal models (P < .005). Two-year LF rate was 11.2% after C1 and 8.3% after C2; tumor dose (hazard ratio [HR], 0.982; 95% CI, 0.969-0.995; P = .007) and tumor size (HR, 1.135; 95% CI, 1.068-1.206; P < .005) predicted LF. Two-year OS was 46.0% after C1 and 42.6% after C2; tumor dose (HR, 0.986; 95% CI, 0.979-0.992; P < .005) and tumor size (HR, 1.049; 95% CI, 1.010-1.088; P = .0124) predicted OS. Reirradiation was not associated with toxicity (P > .7), LF (P = .79), or OS (P = .39).

CONCLUSIONS

In this largest series in the Western hemisphere, we demonstrate that irradiation for metachronous HCC offers low rates of LF with acceptable toxicity and OS like that of patients receiving a C1. These findings support judicious selection of patients for reirradiation in metachronous HCC.

Effectiveness of Repeated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Consideration of the Locations of Target Lesions

The present study retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), including repeated SBRT, for hepatocellular carcinoma. Participants comprised 220 HCC patients treated with SBRT in Hiroshima University Hospital between December 2008 and December 2021. Median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival were 52 months (range, 45-64 months) and 17 months (range, 14-23 months), respectively. The 5-year local tumor recurrence rate was 3.4% (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-6.9%). Fifty-three patients underwent repeated SBRT (twice, 53 cases; three times, 10 cases; four times, 4 cases; five times, 1 case). Median interval between first and second SBRT was 20 months. Median OS from first SBRT was 76 months (95% CI, 50-102 months). Among patients with repeated SBRT, only one case showed local recurrence after second SBRT. Albumin-bilirubin score increased significantly from 6 to 12 months after repeated SBRT, both in the same segment and in remote segments, but the increase was not significant in the same segment. Only one case of grade 3 bile duct stricture was observed in patients who were treated with repeated SBRT. In conclusion, repeated SBRT provides good local control and a low risk of side effects.

A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Study of Repeated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Intrahepatic Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE

Through this multi-institutional study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for intrahepatic recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Between 2005 and 2017, 709 patients with 835 HCCs underwent SBRT; those treated with repeated SBRT were eligible. The median prescribed dose was 40 Gy in 5 fractions.

RESULTS

Eighty-one patients with 189 tumors underwent repeated SBRT (≥ 2 courses [median 2 times; range, 2-5 times]). The median follow-up periods from the first to the second SBRT were 41.5 (range, 12-99) and 20 (range, 1-81) months, respectively. The median interval between the first and second SBRT was 18 (range, 3-74) months. The 5-year local recurrence rate was 6.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3%-13.4%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and liver-related death rates from the first SBRT were 60.4% (95% CI, 47.0%-73.8%) and 32.9% (95% CI, 20.3%-46.0%), respectively, and the 3-year rates from the second SBRT were 61.0% (95% CI, 49.9%-75.2%) and 34.5% (95% CI, 20.6%-48.9%), respectively. The frequency of grade 3 toxicity was not significantly different between the first and second SBRT (first: 11% [95% CI, 5.2%-20%]; second: 15% [95% CI, 7.9%-24%]; P = .48). Among 39 patients with no intrahepatic recurrence for 1 year after the first and second SBRT, the deterioration in liver function after the first and second SBRT was not significantly different; the albumin-bilirubin score increased 1 year after the first versus second SBRT (first, 0.143 ± 0.23; second, 0.195 ± 0.38; P = .48). Multivariate analysis revealed that the intrahepatic recurrence-free interval was the only significant factor for OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Repeated SBRT for intrahepatic recurrent HCC resulted in high local control with safety and a satisfactory OS comparable with that of other curative local treatments for patients with well-preserved liver function.

Repeated CyberKnife stereotactic body radiation therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

To explore the survival and side effects of repeated CyberKnife stereotactic body radiation therapy (CK-SBRT) on hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Methods

24 HCC patients were collected at The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from November 2011 to July 2016. They received second-course CK-SBRT with a prescribed dose of 50(48–55) Gy/5-8fx, and a single dose of 10 (7–11) Gy/fx. Cumulative overall survival rates (OS), progression-free survival rates (PFS) and local control rates (LC) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

All patients finished their radiotherapy plans. The 1-,2- and 3-year cumulative OS rate were 95.8,81.1 and 60.8%. The 1-,2- and 3-year LC rate were 95.5,90.7 and 90.7%, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year PFS were 74.8, 49.2 and 39.4%, respectively. 16 patients complained of fatigue during second-course therapy, 2 patients showed Grade 2 gastrointestinal reaction, 1 patient was diagnosed radiation-induced liver disease and none died. PFS was significantly higher in the interval time < 12 months group than in the interval time ≥ 12 months group (p = 0.030).

Conclusions

It is preliminarily believed that re-CK-SBRT is an effective and safe treatment for HCC patients, but the treatment criteria should be strictly controlled.

Three cases of hepatocellular carcinoma treated 4 times with proton beams

HCC may recur following surgery or radiofrequency ablation. Proton beam therapy (PBT) is a type of radiotherapy that achieves excellent local control of HCC without severe toxicity. The present study reported the long-term outcome of 3 HCC patients who each received 4 repeat courses of PBT. All patients had a hepatitis B or C viral infection. A total of 14 lesions were treated using a curative PBT protocol and irradiated liver volumes in each treatment were 7-50% of the total liver volume. Liver function in all cases was considerably preserved until the last follow-up and patient survival was 51-107 months from the first PBT with no local recurrence observed in the 14 lesions. The presented cases indicated that repeated PBT is an effective treatment option for recurrent HCC due to reduced liver damage and superior local treatment compared with other treatment options such as transarterial chemoembolization.

Evaluation of Hepatic Toxicity after Repeated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma using Deformable Image Registration

This study aimed to evaluate hepatic toxicity after repeated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using deformable image registration (DIR). Between January 2007 and December 2015, 85 patients who underwent two sessions of SBRT for HCC treatment were retrospectively analyzed. A DIR technique was used to calculate the cumulative dose of the first and second SBRT to the normal liver by matching two computed tomography simulation images. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) index was calculated to evaluate DIR accuracy. Before the first and second SBRT, 6 (7.1%) and 12 (14.1%) patients were Child-Pugh class B, respectively. Median tumor size was 1.7 cm before both SBRT treatments. Mean DSC index value was 0.93, being >0.9 in 79 (92.9%) registrations. Median cumulative mean liver dose (MLD) was 9.3 Gy (interquartile range, 7.6–11.7). Radiation-induced liver disease developed in three patients, and two of them, with Child-Pugh class B, experienced irreversible liver function deterioration following the second SBRT. The DIR method provided reliable information regarding cumulative doses to the liver. In patients with Child-Pugh class A liver function, repeated SBRT for small recurrent HCC could be safely performed with acceptable hepatic toxicity.

Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Patients with Unresectable or Medically Inoperable Cholangiocarcinoma

Purpose

The role of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in patients with unresectable or medically inoperable cholangiocarcinoma remains unclear. We examined the efficacy and safety of SABR in this group of patients.

Methods

From January 2008 to December 2014, 15 patients with 17 lesions were included in this study. The lesions included 14 intrahepatic, 1 hilar, and 2 distal bile duct tumors. Three patients were classified as medically inoperable because of old age or multiple comorbidities. Tumors measured 0.8-13 cm (median, 3.6 cm). The median prescribed dose was 45 Gy delivered in 5 fractions over 5 consecutive days.

Results

The median follow-up period for surviving patients was 29.9 months. Objective responses were observed for 10 of 17 tumors (58.8%), including 3 complete responses (17.6%). The median survival duration was 12.6 months, and the 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 50.3% and 14.4%, respectively. The 1- and 2-year in-field failure-free rates were 61.5% and 30.8%, respectively. For patients with biologically effective doses (BEDs) exceeding 75 Gy10, the 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 58.3% and 33.3%, respectively, compared to 20.0% and 0%, respectively for those with BEDs lower than 75 Gy10. Radiation-induced liver disease did not develop in any patient. Acute toxicities were generally mild and tolerable.

Conclusions

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy could be an alternative treatment for unresectable or medically inoperable cholangiocarcinoma. Further dose escalation may be considered to optimize local control.

Radiofrequency ablation versus stereotactic body radiotherapy for small hepatocellular carcinoma: a Markov model-based analysis

The aim of this study is to compare radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) smaller than 3 cm. A Markov cohort model was developed to simulate a cohort of patients aged 60–65 years with small HCCs who had undergone either RFA or SBRT and were followed up over their remaining life expectancy. The inclusion criteria were: (1) HCC ≤3 cm in diameter with ≤ 3 nodules; (2) absence of extrahepatic metastasis or portal/hepatic vein invasion; (3) Child‐Pugh Class A or B. Twenty thousand virtual patients were randomly assigned to undergo RFA or SBRT. Predicted life expectancy was 6.452 and 6.371 years in the RFA and SBRT groups, respectively. The probability distributions of the expected overall survival were nearly identical. The 95% confidence intervals were 6.25–6.66 and 6.17–6.58 years for RFA and SBRT, respectively. The difference between RFA and SBRT was insignificant (P = 0.2884). Two‐way sensitivity analysis demonstrated that if the tumor is 2–3 cm, SBRT is the preferred treatment option. Our Markov model has shown that expected overall survival of SBRT is nearly identical to RFA in HCCs smaller than 3 cm, but SBRT may have an advantage for tumors 2 cm and larger. A randomized trial is required to confirm these findings.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for primary and metastatic liver tumors: From technological evolution to improved patient care

Technical developments allowed stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to deliver effective doses of irradiation with high precision in a small number of fractions. This paper reviews the role of SBRT for liver metastases, hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, paying special attention to patient eligibility and treatment outcomes regarding local control, toxicity and quality of life. As well as discussing specific issues of these different tumors, such as the presence of underlying liver cirrhosis and the impact on toxicity, it outlines the limitations of SBRT and future areas of development and research.

Current management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

The current management therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are discussed in this review. Despite the development of new therapies, HCC remains a “difficult to treat” cancer because HCC typically occurs in advanced liver disease or hepatic cirrhosis. The progression of multistep and multicentric HCC hampers the prevention of the recurrence of HCC. Many HCC patients are treated with surgical resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), although these modalities should be considered in only selected cases with a certain HCC number and size. Although there is a shortage of grafts, liver transplantation has the highest survival rates for HCC. Several modalities are salvage treatments; however, intensive care in combination with other modalities or in combination with surgical resection or RFA might offer a better prognosis. Sorafenib is useful for patients with advanced HCC. In the near future, HCC treatment will include stronger molecular targeted drugs, which will have greater potency and fewer adverse events. Further studies will be ongoing.

Charged particle therapy versus photon therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the clinical outcomes and toxicity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with charged particle therapy (CPT) with those of individuals receiving photon therapy.

METHODS

We identified relevant clinical studies through searching databases. Primary outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS) at 1, 3, 5 years, progression-free survival (PFS), and locoregional control (LC) at longest follow-up.

RESULTS

73 cohorts from 70 non-comparative observational studies were included. Pooled OS was significantly higher at 1, 3, 5 years for CPT than for conventional radiotherapy (CRT) [relative risk (RR) 1·68, 95% CI 1·22-2·31; p<0·001; RR 3.46, 95% CI: 1.72-3.51, p<0.001; RR 25.9, 95% CI: 1.64-408.5, p=0.02; respectively]. PFS and LC at longest follow-up was also significantly higher for CPT than for CRT (p=0·013 and p<0.001, respectively), while comparable efficacy was found between CPT and SBRT in terms of OS, PFS and LC at longest follow-up. Additionally, high-grade acute and late toxicity associated with CPT was lower than that of CRT and SBRT.

CONCLUSION

Survival rates for CPT are higher than those for CRT, but similar to SBRT in patients with HCC. Toxicity tends to be lower for CPT compared to photon radiotherapy.