Does HCC Etiology Impact the Efficacy of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma? An Asian Liver Radiation Therapy Group Study.

Background/purpose: The Asian Liver Radiation Therapy Study Group has formed a large and detailed multinational database of outcomes following stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we explored the potential impact of HCC etiology on SBRT efficacy. Tumor control probability (TCP) models were established to estimate the likelihood of local control (LC).

Methods: Data from 415 patients who were treated with SBRT for HCC were reviewed. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify key predictors of LC. TCP models accounting for biologic effective dose (BED) and tumor diameter were generated to quantify associations between etiology and LC.

Results: Cox models demonstrated that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was associated with favorable LC following SBRT (HR=0.52, 95% CI 0.04-0.96, p=0.036). The 2-year LC rate for patients with HCV etiology was 88%, compared to 78% for other patients. Small tumor and high BED were also associated with favorable LC. TCP models demonstrated a 10-20% absolute increase in predicted LC across the range of SBRT doses and tumor sizes.

Conclusion: We found a novel association between HCV status and LC after SBRT for HCC that warrants further exploration. If validated in other datasets, our findings could help clinicians tailor SBRT schedules.