Abstract
The liver is a common site of metastatic disease. Systemic therapy is most frequently the preferred therapy for patients with liver metastases, but surgical excision or tumor ablation strategies are often considered for patients with limited disease and favorable histology. Advances in radiation therapy technology made it possible to deliver potent biological doses to limited volumes of the liver with high precision in a few fractions. This method is known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Low-dose radiation therapy administered to the whole-liver radiation therapy (WLRT) is not regularly used for palliation of patients with massive liver metastases. The purpose of this review is to present an update of the most recent literature on SBRT and WLRT. Recently published studies confirm the role of SBRT as a highly effective treatment for ablation of liver metastases. The toxicity related to the therapy is mild or moderate. This treatment is indicated for patients with limited burden of intrahepatic and extrahepatic disease. Low-dose WLRT is a useful treatment for symptom palliation in patients with end-stage cancer and diffuse metastatic infiltration of the liver which became refractory to systemic treatment. SBRT and WLRT are highly efficient in the treatment of patients with liver metastases. However, prospective randomized trials in radiation therapy for liver metastases are warranted.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Current Opinion in Supportive & Palliative Care
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.