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Radiation Therapy for Intrahepatic and Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Clinical Data

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Radiation Therapy for Liver Tumors

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Abstract

The incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma continues to increase in the USA and worldwide. The majority of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and are not candidates for resection. Historically, these patients carried a very poor prognosis and few liver-directed therapies provided meaningful improvement in outcomes. While the use of radiotherapy was traditionally limited by concerns over radiation-induced liver disease, modern techniques with 3D conformal radiotherapy, stereotaxy, and the use of charged particles have allowed for liver-directed dose-escalated radiotherapy without a compromise in toxicity. These advancements have markedly improved local control and survival in patients with inoperable tumors, and the role of radiation in the management of primary liver tumors, especially intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, has increased accordingly. In this chapter, the indications, techniques, and outcomes of radiotherapy will be discussed in both the adjuvant and inoperable settings.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Sagar A. Patel MD

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Florence K. Keane MD

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Theodore S. Hong MD

Authors
  1. Sagar A. Patel MD
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  2. Florence K. Keane MD
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  3. Theodore S. Hong MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Theodore S. Hong MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA

    Jeffrey Meyer

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA

    Tracey Schefter

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Patel, S.A., Keane, F.K., Hong, T.S. (2017). Radiation Therapy for Intrahepatic and Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Clinical Data. In: Meyer, J., Schefter, T. (eds) Radiation Therapy for Liver Tumors. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54531-8_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54531-8_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54531-8

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