171 Compensatory hypertrophy of the cirrhotic liver with hepatoma after proton beam radiotherapy

• Published in: European journal of cancer (1990) 1995-11, Vol.31, p.S39-S39
• Main Authors: Ohara, K., Okumura, T., Tsuji, H., Tatsuzaki, H., MyoMin, Itai, Y., Akine, Y., Tsujii, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0959-8049; 1879-0852
• DOI: 10.1016/0959-8049(95)95428-9

The liver has a tremendous ability to hypertrophy in compensation for acute parenchymal loss by surgical hepatectomy and possibly by radiotherapy. This ability, however, is impaired in the cirrhotic liver and therefore major hepatectomy is even precluded from a treatment of choice for hepatoma. Radiotherapy can be an alternative treatment of hepatoma and the ability to hypertrophy will be a major determinant of radiation tolerance. The aim of this study is to determine the ability of the cirrhotic liver to hypertrophy following radiotherapy. Thirty-two series of CT scans of hepatoma patients with cirrhotic livers were used. These tumors were treated by proton beam radiotherapy of doses ranged from 72 to 84 Gy +/ _ chemoembolization therapy. The tumors were selectively irradiated leaving most part of the non-tumorous liver intact. A minimum follow-up period was 12 months after initiation of radiotherapy. The total liver volume and the treated liver volume (recognized as an area of altered density after radiotherapy) were measured to examine a change of liver volume. The total liver volume decreased mostly over half a year after radiotherapy and then tended to increase moderately. The treated liver volume continued to decrease even 12 months after radiotherapy. This change of both liver volume was smaller in more severely cirrhotic livers, The cirrhotic liver certainly hypertrophys in response to radiotherapy, although it occurs rather moderately and slowly.