Initial clinical outcome of breath-hold stereotactic body radiation therapy for liver tumors: a single-institutional experience

This study aimed to evaluate the initial clinical outcomes of breath-hold stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for liver tumors based on the experience of a single institution. The study assessed treatment response, toxicity, and survival rates to determine the safety and efficacy of breath-hold SBRT in this patient population. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent breath-hold SBRT as the primary treatment for liver tumors at a single institution between April 2020 and April 2021. Clinical characteristics, treatment parameters, and clinical outcomes, including local control (LC), overall survival (OS), toxicity, and patient-reported outcomes, were collected from electronic medical records. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and multivariate analysis. Sixteen patients were included in the study, with a median follow-up duration of 8.2 months. The OS rates at 6 and 12 months were 100% and 67.1%, respectively. No local relapses were observed during the follow-up period, and the intrahepatic control rate at 6 months was 50.0%. Grade 3 radiation-induced adverse events occurred in two patients, and Grade 2 events were observed in eight patients. No Grade 4 or higher adverse events were reported. Five patients experienced worsening Child-Pugh scores after treatment. The results indicate that breath-hold SBRT is a safe and effective treatment option for liver tumors, with comparable outcomes to recent studies. The study demonstrated acceptable LC and low toxicity rates. However, the median follow-up duration was relatively short, and further long-term studies are needed to assess the durability of LC and toxicity rates. In addition, larger-scale studies comparing breath-hold SBRT with other treatment modalities are necessary. (author)