• Shi-Xiong Liang, Xiao-Dong Zhu, Hai-Jie Lu, Chao-Yang Pan, Fu-Xiang Li, Qi-Fang Huang, An-Yu Wang, Long Chen, Xiao-Long Fu, and Guo-Liang Jiang.
• Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
• Cancer. 2005 May 15; 103 (10): 2181-8.

BackgroundThe purpose of the current study was to evaluate the tolerance and efficacy of hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) with or without transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for technically unresectable or medically inoperable primary liver carcinoma (PLC).MethodsBetween April 1999 and August 2003, 128 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PLC received hypofractionated 3DCRT at Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University. Both hypofractionated 3DCRT and TACE were used to treat 48 of these 128 patients. Liver cirrhosis of Child-Pugh Grade A was found in 108 patients, and Grade B was found in 20 patients. The mean gross tumor volume (GTV) was 459 +/- 430 cm3. A mean total irradiation dose of 53.6 +/- 6.6 Gy was delivered at an average fraction of 4.88 +/- 0.47 Gy, 3 times a week using 8-MV photons.ResultsThe median follow-up time after 3DCRT was 12 months (range, 2-56 mos.). The immediate response rate was 55%. The overall survival rates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 65%, 43%, and 33%, respectively, with a median survival of 20 months (range, 7-31 mos.). Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) Grade 2 acute gastrointestinal complications developed in 8 patients, whereas 4 patients developed Grade 3 late gastrointestinal complications. Radiation-induced liver disease (RILD) developed in 19 (15%) patients, of which 12 had Child-Pugh Grade B liver cirrhosis, and 7 had Grade A. GTV and associated liver cirrhosis were identified by Cox regression analysis as independent predictors for survival (P = 0.044 and 0.015).ConclusionsHypofractionated 3DCRT is effective in carefully selected patients with PLC. Gastrointestinal complications and RILD were the most distinct complications.

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