Study of Postoperative 3D-CRT/IMRT in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Phase 2 Study of Postoperative Three-dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy/Intensive Modulated Radiation Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Single Center Prospective Study

Hepatectomy is difficult when the tumor is adjacent to the big vessels of the liver and some patients can not receive radical resection. Such patients have high risk of recurrence. Tumor resection and postoperative radiation is an option for such patients to achieve radical treatment and radiation may reduce local recurrence.

Patients with risk factors of recurrence receive postoperative radiotherapy using intensive modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT). The clinical target volume includes tumor bed. The dose will be 50-60Gy/25-30f. Overall survival, local-recurrence free survival, disease free survival and toxicity need be observed.

Inclusion Criteria:

• written informed consent provided
• 18~75 years old
• patients with histopathological proved hepatocellular carcinoma received hepatectomy and had at least one risk factor of recurrence
• without any lymph node or distant metastasis (any T N0M0)
• liver function: Child-Pugh A or B
• Performance status: Karnofsky (KPS)≥70 or world health organization(WHO) score 0,1
• life expectation>6 months
• no dysfunction of major organs
• no prior radiotherapy
• negative for human immunodeficiency virus syndrome (HIV)
• Considerable to computed tomography(CT) simulation and 3D-CRT or IMRT

Exclusion Criteria:

• malignant tumors of other sits
• combining severe diseases, such as acute myocardial infarction(AMI), arrhythmias, infection
• surgery performed in other hospitals without details
• pregnant woman or woman need to breast feed or woman with positive chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG)