Stereotactic body radiotherapy with CyberKnife for liver-confined hepatocellular carcinoma: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy using CyberKnife (CK) for liver-confined hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A systematic review was performed on studies published between 2000 and 2024 that reported treatment outcomes including overall survival (OS), local control (LC), and complications. A literature search was performed using MEDLINE/PubMed with the following terms: ('Carcinoma, Hepatocellular'[MeSH Terms] OR 'hepatocellular carcinoma' OR 'HCC') AND ('CyberKnife' OR 'robotic radiosurgery'). Additional searches were conducted on Scopus and the Cochrane library using following terms: 'Hepatocellular carcinoma' AND 'CyberKnife.' A meta-analysis was performed to assess OS and LC using weighted random effects models. Five retrospective studies and one prospective study were included in the meta-analysis, comprising a total of 697 patients with a median follow-up duration was 31 months (range: 15-48 months). The pooled 3-year LC and OS rates were 82.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75.0%-90.0%) and 58.7% (95% CI, 47.2%-70.1%), respectively, which is comparable to previous reported outcomes for non-device-limited SBRT and similar to that of surgery and local ablative therapies. The incidence of radiation-induced liver disease was 4.3%-15.3%. Stereotactic body radiotherapy using CK appears to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment for liver-confined HCC. However, further prospective studies with standardized methodologies are warranted to establish solid evidence of its clinical utility.