A preliminary study of hepatocellular carcinoma post proton beam therapy using MRI as an early prediction of treatment effectiveness.

Abstract

PurposeTo demonstrate the feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for early prediction of proton beam therapy (PBT) effectiveness in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsClinical data of the HCC patients without regional lymph node involvement or distant metastasis who received PBT at this institution between 2014 and 2017 were reviewed. A total of 43 patients were included. Tumor regression pattern after PBT were examined on the basis of follow-up duration. The variables were compared between patients with and without early tumor regression (ETR).ResultsThe median follow-up duration was 40 months (range, 9-62 months). The cumulative overall survival rate at 6 months, 1 years and 5 years was 100%, 88.4%, 63.4%, respectively. Child-Pugh class A, local tumor control (LTC), complete response (CR), and ETR were significantly associated with overall survival (p ConclusionThe post-PBT MRI follow-up at 3 months is helpful for monitoring therapeutic response. ETR of the HCC predicted a higher rate of CR and was associated with overall survival, which provides more accurate clinical management.