Transplant is curative
Transplant is curative both for cancer and underlying cirrhosis, but patients may experience disease progression while waiting for transplant, noted Jessica Karen Wong, MD, assistant professor, department of radiation oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, who was approached for comment.
“Radiation, specifically, stereotactic body radiation therapy, is a safe and effective bridging therapy but was only used in a small minority of eligible patients in this national database,” she said. “Although the use of radiation as bridging therapy is increasing over time, it continues to be underutilized. Increasing the use of radiation provides an opportunity to improve patient care for hepatocellular carcinoma patients awaiting a liver transplant.”
Dr. Nabavizadeh and Dr. Wong have disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Dr. Kim has received research funding and speaker honorarium from Varian and ViewRay.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.