Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Liver Metastases

Liver metastases are common in oncologic patients, causing substantial morbidity and mortality. Systemic therapy is now standard palliative treatment for most patients with liver metastases, often providing transient responses and increased overall survival. In selected oligometastatic patients, local treatment can lead to long disease-free intervals and even permanent disease control. Although surgery remains the gold standard of local treatments, most patients will not be appropriate surgical candidates. For these patients, alternate local treatments have been developed. Among these, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) presents an attractive non-invasive option for selected patients with limited hepatic involvement. This article reviews the development, indications, methods, and results of SBRT in the management of liver metastases.