Long-Term Results of High-Dose 2-Fraction Carbon Ion Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Carbon ion beams have several physical and biological advantages compared with conventional radiation for cancer therapy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of 2-fraction carbon ion radiation therapy (CIRT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Between December 2008 and March 2013, 57 patients with localized HCC were treated with CIRT at a total dose of 45 Gy (relative biological effectiveness) in 2 fractions and retrospectively analyzed after long-term observation. The main endpoints of this study were treatment-related toxicity and local tumor control. Toxicity was assessed using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Changes in the Child-Pugh score from before to after CIRT were also examined to evaluate hepatic toxicity. Local control was defined as no progression of the irradiated lesion according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors.

The median age of the patients was 75 years (range, 49-89 years). Of these patients, 41 had a newly diagnosed lesion, and 16 had residual or recurrent lesions after previous treatments. The median follow-up duration was 54 months (range, 7-103 months). All surviving patients were followed for more than 51 months. Two patients experienced grade 3 acute skin reactions, but no other grade 3 or higher toxicities were observed in any organ. No patient exhibited an increase in the Child-Pugh score of 2 or more points after CIRT. The local tumor control rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 98%, 91%, and 91% after CIRT, respectively. All lesions that failed to respond to previous treatments were successfully controlled by CIRT. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 97%, 67%, and 45%, respectively.

Two-fraction CIRT was a well-tolerated and effective treatment for patients with HCC.