This phase II study is to evaluate the effectiveness of hypofractionated proton beam therapy (PBT) for Hepatocellular Carcinoma patients in hepatitis B endemic area.

The primary endpoint is local progression free survival. The trial is a single arm phase II trial with the historical arm. The expected 3-year local progression free survival for patient with HCC patients treated with proton beam therapy would be 80%. With a power of 80% and a type I error level of 10%, evaluable 40 patients are required to reject that the null hypothesis that true 3-year local progression free survival rate is ≤65%. Considering the 10% unevaluable patients due to loss of follow up, a total 45 eligible patients will be enrolled.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hepatocellular Carcinoma diagnosed as (i) the presence of risk factors including hepatitis B or C virus and liver cirrhosis, a serum a-fetoprotein (AFP) level greater than 200 IU/ml and a radiologically compatible feature with HCC in one or more CT/MRI/angiograms, or (ii) the presence of risk factors including hepatitis B or C virus and liver cirrhosis, a serum a-fetoprotein (AFP) level less than 200 IU/ml, and a radiologically compatible feature with HCC in two or more CT/MRI/angiograms or (iii) histological confirmation
• Inoperable HCC or refusal to surgery
• Recurrent/residual tumor after other local treatments (local ablation therapy, or transarterial chemoemobolization, etc), or unsuitable/refusal to other treatments.
• Patients without evidence of extrahepatic metastasis
• The largest diameter of tumor should be less than 7cm, and the number of tumor ≤2
• The targeted tumors is more than 2cm away from the alimentary tract (i.e., stomach, duodenum, esophagus, small and large bowel)
• No previous treatment to target tumors by other forms of RT
• Liver function of Child-Pugh class A or B7 (Child-Pugh score of ≤7)
• Age of ≥18 years
• Performance status of 0 to 1 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score
• Required Entry Laboratory Parameters WBC count ≥ 1,500/mm3; hemoglobin level ≥ 7.5 g/dL; platelet count ≥ 30,000/mm3; and adequate hepatic function (total bilirubin ≤ 3.0 mg/dL; AST and ALT < 5.0× upper limit of normal; no uncontrolled ascites
• No serious comorbidities other than liver cirrhosis
• Signed informed consent form prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria:

• There is evidence of extrahepatic metastasis.
• Age of <18 years
• Liver function of Child-Pugh class B8-9 and C (Child-Pugh score of >7)
• Previous history of other forms of RT adjacent to target tumors
• Poor performance status of 2 to 4 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score
• Multicentric HCCs, except for those with the following two conditions: (i) multinodular aggregating HCC that could be encompassed by single clinical target volume and within single clinical target volume; (ii) lesions other than targeted tumor that were judged as controlled with prior surgery and/or local ablation therapy.
• Pregnant or breast feeding status
• Previous history uncontrolled other malignancies within 2 years