Stereotactic body radiation therapy in the treatment of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
335 Background: Unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has a poor prognosis with less than 5% of patients surviving 5 years. We review our experience with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in the treatment of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and evaluate acute toxicity and local control. Methods: From November 2005 until August 2010, 12 patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were treated with SBRT. All patients were evaluated by a liver surgeon and were deemed unresectable prior to radiosurgery. The median tumor size was 4.3 cm (range 1.9–9.3 cm). All tumors were located in the right hepatic lobe. Three patients had received prior radiation therapy and SBRT was given as a boost with a median dose of 24 Gy in three fractions. Nine patients received SBRT as the sole local modality to a median dose of 51 Gy (range 30–55 Gy) in three fractions on consecutive days. Local control was determined by follow-up imaging with MRI. The median follow up is 12 months. Toxicity was assessed using Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) guidelines version 3.0. Results: Overall, only 3 of 12 (25%) patients experienced acute toxicity. Three patients had abdominal discomfort and one patient had nausea. All toxicities were grade 1. Ten of 12 (83%) patients received chemotherapy. Four patients received chemotherapy before SBRT and five patients received chemotherapy after. One patient received chemotherapy before and after SBRT. Overall local control is 75% for eight patients with follow-up imaging. Two of eight (25%) patients had a complete response. Four of eight (67%) patients had a partial response or stable disease. One patient had a local recurrence 13 months after receiving SBRT (51 Gy in three fractions) and was retreated with SBRT (28 Gy in three fractions) with no acute toxicity. There was no difference in outcome whether SBRT was given before or after chemotherapy. Conclusions: Stereotactic body radiation therapy given sequentially with chemotherapy is well tolerated with few side effects in the treatment of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and early local control is promising. No significant financial relationships to disclose.