Dr. Parikh on the Role of Radiation in HCC

Neehar Parikh, MD, medical director, Multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Clinic, Living Donor Liver Transplantation Program, assistant professor, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, discusses the role of radiation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Radiotherapy is still an evolving field, in which most of the data are retrospective, says Parikh. Although stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is thought to be safe and effective, more data are needed to determine its exact role in the field.

For example, SBRT could be used in patients who may not otherwise be amenable to thermal ablation or some other therapy, such as surgical resection. However, its role in patients with larger tumors is unclear. Additionally, if a patient is eligible for chemoembolization and radiation, it’s not clear which intervention to pursue.

There are some retrospective data that suggest SBRT can be effective in this patient population, but it’s not definitive, says Parikh. Ongoing research may shed light on these questions.