Conformal external beam radiation or selective internal radiation therapy—a comparison of treatment outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma

摘要

BackgroundNon-operative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has expanded significantly with the use of selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) mostly with yttrium 90 (⁹⁰Y) tagged microspheres and highly conformal external beam radiation therapy such as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to treat unresectable liver tumors for local tumor control. SBRT is a noninvasive procedure using external radiation source under image guidance, while SIRT delivers radioactive particles by transarterial radioembolization (TARE). However, the survival benefits of SBRT versus SIRT have never been compared. The aim of the present study is to compare the outcomes of overall and disease specific survival (DSS) using SIRT versus SBRT to treat HCC.