Research progress on target delineation for radiotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma with / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Modern medical imaging techniques,such as computed tomorgraphy (CT),magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and position emission tomorgraphy/computed tomorgraphy (PET-CT) can accurately delineate the gross target volume (GTV) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Comparison of postoperative pathological subclinical lesions,imaging and clinical parameters contributes to the precise delineation of clinical target volume (CTV).Moreover,radiotherapy-assisted techniques,such as fourdimensional computed tomography (4DCT),compression of abdomen,active breathing control and respiratory gating,can minimize the internal target volume (ITV).In addition,immobilization with vacuum cushion and body membrane can reduce the set-up error,minimize the planning target volume (PTV) and avoid or decrease the irradiation error or missing irradiation.All these approach can minimize the target volume,elevate the dose and reduce the complications during radiotherapy for HCC.In this article,the research progress on the target delineation for external beam radiotherapy in HCC patients was reviewed.

Research advances in external beam radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma / 中国肿瘤临床

Surgical resection or liver transplantation are the primary curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However, a minority of patients are eligible for these treatment strategies upon initial diagnosis.With the development of radiotherapy technol-ogy,radiotherapy is being used increasingly in the treatment of HCC.A large number of studies have shown that external beam radio-therapy has obvious advantages for different stages of HCC.Stereotactic radiotherapy provides an alternative to radiofrequency abla-tion in the treatment of early unresectable HCC,and radiotherapy combined with other local or systemic treatments,including trans-catheter arterial chemoembolization and sorafenib,has been applied for the treatment of locally advanced and distant metastatic le-sions.The particle beam has the advantages of Bragg peak and better dose distribution compared to conventional radiography,show-ing promising prospect in clinical application.This review focuses on the developments in the field of external beam radiotherapy in the treatment of HCC.