Short-course Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Evaluation of Liver Function in a Phase II Clinical Trial

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors throughout the world. The prognosis is still poor, and the 5-year survival rate is about 15% in Japan. Out of HCC patients, 85% are associated with liver cirrhosis, a very advanced hepatic disorder itself, and the patients often require repeated therapies owing to the intrahepatic metastasis and multicentric carcinogenesis in the cirhotic liver. Therefore, both radical effect and minimal invasiveness are essential for the treatment of HCC. However, no therapies have been available that satisfy both of the these essential requirements for every-sized tumor.18th Conference of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Live