Stereotactic body radiation therapy: an ablative treatment option for primary and secondary liver tumors

Only a subset of patients with primary and secondary liver tumors are eligible for surgical resection because of either the presence of extrahepatic disease, increased number of hepatic lesions, the anatomical distribution of tumors within the liver, and/or general medical inoperability. Nonsurgical, ablative tumor treatment may benefit selected patients by preserving normal liver function. This review presents the concept and technology of stereotactic body radiation therapy and summarizes available clinical data describing applications in the treatment of malignant liver tumors. We present predominantly peer-reviewed data but also summarize recent clinical developments along with discussions of current ongoing and planned multicenter studies.