Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer with Postoperative After-Loading Radiotherapy and Gemcitabine

Objective： To evaluate the curative effectiveness of postoperative after-loading radiotherapy with the use of gemcitabine in 22 patients with primary liver cancer. Methods： From Oct. 1999 to Dec. 2001, 22 patients with primary liver cancer underwent postoperative after-loading radiotherapy 3-10 days after hepatectomy and chemotherapy using gemcitabine （1400 mg every week for 3 weeks, repeated after one week interval, total cycles were 6） and compared with 22 cases of sole hepatectomy. Three-six catheters were placed for irradiation after hepatectomy. The single-dose of after-loading radiotherapy was 10 Gy, 24 sessions per person. Results＇. The rate of AFP negative-reversion was 100% （17/17） in the treated group, higher than in control group （62.5%, 10/16, P〈0.05）. In the treated group, the 1-year relapse rate, metastasis rate and survival rate were 18.2% （4/22）, 0 and 100% （22/22） respectively, while in the control group they were 45.5% （10/22）, 13.6% （3/22） and 77.3% （17/22） respectively. There were significant differences between the two groups in relapse rate, metastasis rate and survival rate within a year （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Postoperative after-loading radiotherapy with gemcitabine is an effective way for the treatment of primary liver cancer.

Patterns of Relapse and Management Options in Unknown Primary Cervical Metastatic Carcinoma

Objective: To analyze the patterns of relapse and management options in unknown primary cervical metastatic carcinoma (UPCMC) as well as to discuss its treatment strategies. Methods: Clinical data of 111 cases of eligible UPCMC were retrospectively studied. Neck control, primary relapse and long-term survival were compared among different groups. Results: Primary carcinomas ultimately appeared in 12 cases (10.8%, 12/111). Neck control rate was 36.9%. Overall 5-year survival rate was 41.4%. Neck control, N stage and primary control were prognostic factors for UPCMC. Neck control was affected by N stage and whether or not comprehensive radiotherapy was administered. Conclusion: UPCMC should primarily be treated by radiotherapy except for cases with N1 or N2 insensitive to radiation. Bilateral necks radiotherapy is the optimal choice in terms of neck radiotherapy. Selective total pharyngeal irradiation is recommended for potential primary treatment.

The Clinical Pathologic Analysis of Radiotherapy for Cutaneous B-cell Lymphoma

OBJECTIVE To report results of radiation therapy treatment of 30 B-cell lymphoma patients with an initial cutaneous presentation according to the new classification by the WHO/EORTC. METHODS Thirty patients with cutaneous B-cell lymphoma （CBCL） were treated by cutaneous irradiation based on the number and location of the lesions and the stage of their tumor. Treatment was conducted using a Satume Clinac. RESULTS A complete response （CR） from the treatment for our series was 86%. The length of complete remission ranged from 4 to 301 months. Three patients （11%） developed a partial response （PR）. One patient was progressive. Disease-free survival（DFS） at 10 years was 87%. Three patiens died [One PCMZL two PCLBCL leg type （29%）]. Radiotherapy was generally well tolerated. CONCLUSION According to the WHO/EORTC classification, the survivor results were good for PCMZL and PCFCL. The PCLBCL leg type had a poor prognosis. Localized field irradiation is an effective treatment for some localized forms of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, and this mode of therapy can produce prolonged remissions.The patients with wide-spread skin involvement are usually candidates for extended field irradiation and/or chemotherapy. For advanced stages of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, where chemotherapy is the treatment of choice, a degree of palliation can be achieved using local field irradation.

Role of radiation therapy in gastric adenocarcinoma

Outcomes in patients with gastric cancer in the United States remain disappointing, with a five-year overall survival rate of approximately 23%. Given high rates of local-regional control following surgery, a strong rationale exists for the use of adjuvant radiation therapy. Randomized trials have shown superior local control with adjuvant radiotherapy and improved overall survival with adjuvant chemoradiation. The benefit of adjuvant chemoradiation in patients who have undergone D2 lymph node dissection by an experienced surgeon is not known, and the benefit of adjuvant radiation therapy in addition to adjuvant chemotherapy continues to be defined. In unresectable disease, chemoradiation allows long-term survival in a small number of patients and provides effective palliation. Most trials show a benefit to combined modality therapy compared to chemotherapy or radiation therapy alone. The use of pre-operative, intra-operative, 3D conformal, and intensity modulated radiation therapy in gastric cancer is promising but requires further study. The current article reviews the role of radiation therapy in the treatment of resectable and unresectable gastric carcinoma, focusing on current recommendations in the United States.

Computed tomography-guided transpulmonary radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma located in hepatic dome

AIM： To determine the feasibility of performing computed tomography （CT）-guided transpulmonary radiofrequency ablation （RFA） for hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） located in the hepatic dome. METHODS： A total of seven patients with HCC comprising seven nodules located in the hepatic dome were treated from April 2004 to December 2004. CTguided transpulmonary RFA was performed using a cool-tip type electrode （Radionics Company） based on a standardized energy protocol. All tumors located in the hepatic dome were not detectable by the usual ultrasound （US） methods. The lesion diameters ranged from 15 to 27 mm. RESULTS： RFA was technically feasible in all the patients. The puncture procedure was performed twice or less and the total average performance time was 40.6 min. Local tumor control was achieved in all the patients. The necrosis diameter ranged from 25 to 35 mm. The mean follow-up period was 9.6 （7-14 mo） mo. There was no local recurrenceat the follow-up points. Pneumothorax requiring pleural drainage was the main complication, which was observed in two of the seven patients （28.6%）. However, it improved with chest drainage tube, and the tube could be removed within 2-3 d. No other major complications were observed.CONCLUSION： CT-guided puncture is useful for the treatment of tumors located in the hepatic dome which are hardly detectable by US, even though pneumothorax sometimes may occur as a complication. In the cases with adhesion in the pleura for which artificial pleural effusion methods are not appropriate, CT-guided RFA is thus considered to be an alternative treatment for HCC located in the hepatic dome.

Radiation therapy for portal venous invasion by hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM： To darify bhe efficacy and safety of bhree-dimensional conformal radiotherapy （3-D CRT） for bhis disease and to specify patient subgroups suitable for this treatment. METHODS： Fifty-two patients with HCC received PVItargeted radiation therapy from .January 1995 through December 2003. Portal venous invasion （PVI） was found in the second or lower order branches of the portal vein in 6 patients, in the first branch in 24 patients and in the main trunk in 22 patients. Child classifications of liver function before radiation therapy were A, B, and C for 19, 24 and 2 patients, respectively. All patients received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with a total dose ranging from 39 to 60 Gy （57.0 Gy in average）. RESULTS： Overall survival rates at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years were 45.1%, 25.3%, 15.2%, 10.1%, and 5.1%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that Child status, the number of tumor foci, tumor type, transcatheter arterial embolization （TAE） after radiation therapy were statistically significant prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis showed that the number of tumor foci and TAE after radiation therapy were statistically significant. CONCLUSION： The results of this study strongly suggest the efficacy of 3-D CRT as treatment for PVI in HCC. 3-D CRT is recommended in combination with postradiation TAE for PVI of HCC with 5 tumor foci or less in the liver and with Child A liver function.

Evaluation of intraoperative radiotherapy for gastric carcinoma with D2 and D3 surgical resection

AIM： TO study the proper sites and doses of intraoperative radiotherapy （IORT） for gastric carcinoma and the effects of this treatment. METHODS： A total of 106 patients with stage Ⅰ -Ⅳ gastric carcinoma who received D2 or D3 radical operation combined with IORT were analyzed. Sixty-seven patients with gastric cancer of the antrum and body underwent distal gastrectomy. The sites of irradiation were at the celiac artery and hepatoduodenal ligment area. Another 39 patients with carcinoma of the cardia and upper part of the gastric body and whole stomach underwent proximal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy. The sites of irradiation for this group were the upper margin of the pancreas and the regional para-aorta. The therapeutic effects （including survival and complications） of these 106 cases received operation combined with IORT （IORT group） were compared with 441 cases treated during the same time period by a radical operation alone （operation group）. RESULTS： The radiation dose below 30 Gy was safe. The therapeutic method of the operation combined with IORT did not prolong the survival of patients with stage Ⅰ and Ⅳ gastric cancer, but the 5-year survival rates of patients with stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ gastric cancers were significantly improved. The 5-year survival rates of the stages Ⅲ cancer patients receiving D2 resection combined with IORT were markedly improved, while for those receiving D3 radical resection, only the postoperative 3- or 4-year survival rates were improved （P 〈 0.005-0.001）. The 5-year survival rate for those patients was raised only by 4.7% （P 〉 0.05）. CONCLUSION： The 5-year survival rates of patients with stages Ⅱ and Ⅲ gastric carcinoma who received D2 lymphadenectomy combined with IORT were improved, and there was no influence on the postoperative complications and mortality.

Long-term survival after intraluminal brachytherapy for inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinoma: A case report

Surgical resection with a tumor-free margin is the onlycurative treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (Klatskin tumor). However, over half of the patients present late with unresectable tumors. Radiotherapy using external beamirradiation or intraluminal brachytherapy (ILBT) has been used to treat unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma with satisfactory outcome. We reported a patient with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma surviving more than 6 years after combined external beam irradiation and ILBT.

Advances in alimentary tract imaging

in imaging techniques are changing the way radiologists undertake imaging of the gastrointestinal tract and their ability to answer questions posed by surgeons. In this paper we discuss the technological improvements of imaging studies that have occurred in the last few years and how these help to better diagnosing alimentary tract disease.

Dosimetric evaluation of VMAT radiation therapy technique for breast cancer after conservative surgery based on three different types of multileaf collimators

Objective Radiotherapy combined with conservative surgery plays an important role in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT) has been introduced into clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dosimetric effects of different multileaf collimators(MLC) on VMAT radiotherapy plans for treating breast cancer.Methods Fifteen breast cancer patients who were treated using a conventional technique in our department were selected to participate in this retrospective analysis. VMAT plans based on three types of Elekta MLCs [Beam Modulator(BM) with 4-mm leaf width, Agility with 5-mm leaf width and MLCi2 with 10-mm leaf width] were independently generated for each patient. Plan comparisons were performed based on dose-volume histogram(DVH) analysis including dosimetric parameters such as the homogeneity index(HI), conformity index(CI), Dmax, Dmin, and Dmean for the planning treatment volume(PTV), in addition to dose-volume parameters for the organs at risk(OARs). The delivery efficiency of the three types of MLCs was compared in terms of the beam delivery time and the monitor units(MUs) per fraction for each plan. Results Both target uniformity and conformity were improved in plans for Agility and BM MLC compared with the plan using MLCi2. The mean HI decreased from 1.14 for MLCi2 to 1.13 for BM and 1.10 for Agility, while the mean CI increased from 0.68 for MLCi2 to 0.73 for BM and 0.75 for Agility. Furthermore, at both low and high dose levels, smaller volumes of ipsilateral lung, heart, contralateral lung, and breast were irradiated with Agility MLC than with the other two types of MLCs. The delivery time with Agility MLC was reduced by 10.8% and 32.1%, respectively, compared with that for MLCi2 and BM.Conclusion Our results indicate that the Agility MLC exhibits a dosimetric advantage and a significant improvement in delivery efficiency for the treatment of breast cancer using VMAT.

Colchicine sensitizes human hepatocellular carcinoma cells to damages caused by radiation

AIM： We studied the effect of colchicine combined with radiation on the survival of human hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） HA22T/VGH cells.METHODS： Twenty-four hours after treatment with 0-8 ng/mL colchicine, HA22T/VGH cells were irradiated at various doses （0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gy）. Colony assay was performed to assess the surviving cell fraction. Survival curves were fitted by using a linear-quadratic model to estimate the sensitizer enhancement ratio （SER）. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis.RESULTS： Colchicine at lower concentrations （1 and 2 ng/mL） had obvious synergy with radiation to inhibit HCC cell growth, whereas higher concentrations （4 and 8 ng/mL） had only additive effect to radiation. Pretreatment with 1 and 2 ng/mL colchicine for 24-h enhanced cell killing by radiation with SERs of 1.21 and 1.53, respectively.G2/N arrest was only observed with higher colchicine doses （8 and 16 ng/mL） after 24-h treatment, this effect was neither seen with lower doses （1, 2, and 4 ng/mL）nor with any dose after only 1 h of treatment.CONCLUSION： Our results suggest that colchicine has potential as an adjunct to radiotherapy for HCC treatment.Lower doses of colchicine possess radiosensitizing effects via some mechanism other than G2/M arrest. Further study is necessary to elucidate the mechanism.

Liposome transfected to plasmid-encoding endostatin gene combined with radiotherapy inhibits liver cancer growth in nude mice

AIM： To evaluate whether intratumoral injection of liposome-endostatin complexes could enhance the antitumor efficacy of radiation theapy in human liver cardnoma （BEL7402） model.METHODS： Recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.End was transfected into human liver carcinoma cell line （BEL7402） with lipofectamine to produce conditioned medium. Then BEL7402 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVECs） were treated with the conditioned medium. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometer and endothelial cell proliferation rates were determined by MTT assay. The antitumor efficacy of endostatin gene combined with ionizing radiation in mouse xenograft liver tumor was observed.RESULTS： Endostatin significantly suppressed the S phase fraction and increased the apoptotic index in HUVECs. In contrast, endostatin treatment had no effect on BEL7402 cell apoptosis （2.1±0.3% vs 8.9±1.3%, t= 8.83, P= 0.009〈0.01） or cell cycle distribution （17.2±2.3% vs 9.8±1.2%, t = 4.94,P = 0.016〈0.05）. The MTT assay showed that endostatin significantly inhibited the proliferation of HUVECs by 46.4%. The combination of local endostatin gene therapy with radiation therapy significantly inhibited the growth of human liver carcinoma BEL7402 xenografts, the inhibition rate of tumor size was 69.8% on d 28 compared to the untreated group. The tumor volume in the pcDNA3.End combined with radiation therapy group （249±83 mm^3） was significantly different from that in the untreated group （823±148 mm^3, t= 5.86, P= 0.009〈0.01） or in the pcDNA3 group （717±94 mm^3, t= 6.46, P= 0.003〈0.01）. Endostatin or the radiation alone also inhibited the growth of liver tumor in vivo, but their inhibition effects were weaker than those of endostatin combined with radiation, the inhibition rates on d 28 were 44.7% and 40.1%, respectively.CONCLUSION： Endostatin not only significantly suppresses tumor growth but also enhances the antitumor efficacy of radiation therapy in human carcinoma xenograft.

Thermo-chemo-radiotherapy for advanced bile duct carcinoma

AIM： Complete resection of the bile duct carcinoma is sometimes difficult by subepithelial spread in the duct wall or direct invasion of adjacent blood vessels. Nonresected extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma has a dismal prognosis,with a life expectancy of about 6 mo to i year. To improve the treatment results of locally advanced bile duct carcinoma, we have been conducting a clinical trial using regional hyperthermia in combination with chemoradiation therapy.METHODS： Eight patients complaining of obstructive jaundice with advanced extrahepatic bile duct underwent thermo-chemo-radiotherapy （TCRT）. All tumors were located in the upper bile duct and involved hepatic bifurcation, and obstructed the bile duct completely.Radiofrequency capacitive hyperthermia was administered simultaneously with chemotherapeutic agents once weekly immediately following radiotherapy at 2 Gy.We administered heat to the patient for 40 rain after the tumor temperature had risen to 42℃. The chemotherapeutic agents employed were cis-platinum （CDDP,50 mg/m^2） in combination with 5-fluorouracil （5-FU,800 mg/m^2） or methotrexate （MTX, 30 mg/m^2） in combination with 5-FU （800 mg/m^2）. Number of heat treatments ranged from 2 to 8 sessions. The bile duct at autopsy was histologically examined in three patients treated with TCRT.RESULTS： In respect to resolution of the bile duct, there were three complete regression （CR）, two partial regression （PR）, and three no change （NC）. Mean survival was 13.2＋10.8 mo （mean＋SD）. Four patients survived for more than 20 too. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage （PTBD） tube could be removed in placement of self-expandable metallic stent into the patency-restored bile duct after TCRT. No major side effects occurred. At autopsy, marked hyalinization or fibrosis with necrosis replaced extensively bile duct tumor and wall, in which suppressed cohesiveness of carcinoma cells and degenerative cells were sparsely observed.CONCLUSION： Although the number of cases is rather small, TCRT in the treatment of locally advanced bile duct carcinoma is promising in raising local control and thus,long-term survival.

Usefulness of two independent hist classifications of tumor regression iUsefulness of two independent histopathological classifications of tumor regression in patients with rectal cancer submitted to hyperfractionated pre-operative radiotherapy

AIM： To assess the usefulness of two independent histopathological classifications of rectal cancer regression following neo-adjuvant therapy. METHODS： Forty patients at the initial stage cT3NxM0 submitted to preoperative radiotherapy （42 Gy during 18 d） and then to radical surgical treatment. The relationship between ＂T-downstaging＂ versus regressive changes expressed by tumor regression grade （TRG 1-5） and Nasierowska-Guttmejer classification （NG 1-3） was studied as well as the relationship between TRG and NG versus local tumor stage ypT and lymph nodes status, ypN. RESULTS： Complete regression （ypT0, TRG 1） was found in one patient. ＂T-downstaging＂ was observed in 11 （27.5%） patients. There was a weak statistical significance of the relationship between ＂T-downstaging＂ and TRG staging and NG stage. Patients with ypT1 were diagnosed as TRG 2-3 while those with ypT3 as TRGS. No lymph node metastases were found in patients with TRG 1-2. None of the patients without lymph node metastases were diagnosed as TRG 5. Patients in the ypT1 stage were NG 1-2. No lymph node metastases were found in NG 1. There was a significant correlation between TRG and NG. CONCLUSION： Histopathological classifications may be useful in the monitoring of the effects of hyperfractionated preoperative radiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer at the stage of cT3NxM0. There is no unequivocal relationship between ＂Todownstaging＂ and TRG and NG. There is some concordance in the assessment of lymph node status with ypT, TRG and NG. TRG and NG are of limited value for the risk assessment of the lymph node involvement.

Four-Dimensional Computerized Tomography (4D-CT) Reconstruction Based on the Similarity Measure of Spatial Adjacent Images

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of a 4D-CT reconstruction method based on the similarity principle of spatial adjacent images and mutual information measure. Methods:A motor driven sinusoidal motion platform made in house was used to create one-dimensional periodical motion that was along the longitudinal axis of the CT couch. The amplitude of sinusoidal motion was set to an amplitude of ±1 cm. The period of the motion was adjustable and set to 3.5 s. Phantom objects of two eggs were placed in a Styrofoam block, which in turn were placed on the motion platform. These objects were used to simulate volumes of interest undergoing ideal periodic motion. CT data of static phantom were acquired using a multi-slice general electric (GE) LightSpeed 16-slice CT scanner in an axial mode. And the CT data of periodical motion phantom were acquired in an axial and cine-mode scan. A software program was developed by using VC++ and VTK software tools to resort the CT data and reconstruct the 4D-CT. Then all of the CT data with same phase were sorted by the program into the same series based on the similarity principle of spatial adjacent images and mutual information measure among them, and 3D reconstruction of different phase CT data were completed by using the software. Results:All of the CT data were sorted accurately into different series based on the similarity principle of spatial adjacent images and mutual information measures among them. Compared with the unsorted CT data, the motion artifacts in the 3D reconstruction of sorted CT data were reduced significantly, and all of the sorted CT series result in a 4D-CT that reflected the characteristic of the periodical motion phantom. Conclusion:Time-resolved 4D-CT reconstruction can be implemented with any general multi-slice CT scanners based on the similarity principle of spatial adjacent images and mutual information measure.The process of the 4D-CT data acquisition and reconstruction were not restricted to the hardware or software of the CT scanner and has the feasibility ,which extensive applicability.

Comprehensive treatment of thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH)-secreting pituitary adenoma:one case report

Thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH)-secreting pituitary adenoma is a rare type in all pituitary tumors.Recently we treated a TSH-secreting pituitary tumor in our hospital.The patient had been treated for hyperthyroidism,in which methimazole had been prescribed for 10 years,but the symptoms had not been alleviated.MRI imaging demonstrated the typical features of a sellar tumor,and the diameter was approximately 2.7 cm.Based on the laboratory studies:T3 at 6.27 nmol/L,T4 at 260.10 nmol/L,FT3 at 17.22 pmol/L,FT4 at 76.06 pmol/L,TSH at 9.93 Mu/L,the patient was diagnosed with a TSH-secreting pituitary tumor and central hyperthyroidism.After the patient was given octreotide for one week,he received resection of tumor via single-nostril transsphenoidal approach.After discharge,the patient received the radiation therapy two courses about 20 days.Through the comprehensive treatment of surgery,radiotherapy and drugs,the patient received a satisfactory result.

Actinomycosis mimicking recurrent carcinoma after Whipple's operation

Actinomycosis is a rare, chronic, spreading, suppurative,granulomatous and fibrosing infection. Actinomyces are normal inhabitants of the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract. They rarely cause disease and are seldom reported as pathogens. Herein, we reported on a 69-year-old male patient who had undergone Whipple's operation due to ampulla Vater carcinoma, and became infected with actinomycosis at the pancreaticojejunostomy, which mimicked a recurrent malignancy. He was treated with radical resection of the mass at the pancreaticojejunostomy and had an uneventful postoperative course.

Analysis of the Prognosis for Patients with Stage T3N0-1M0 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treated by Chemotherapy Combined with Radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between the therapeutic modality and prognostic factors for the patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS The clinical data from 127 cases of T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with initial treatment, during the period from January 4th, 2000 to November 12th, 2001, were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were divided into Group A with simple radiotherapy (90) and Group B with the radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy (37), based on various patients' conditions. In group B, inductive chemotherapy was conducted for 18 cases, inductive chemotherapy plus homochronous chemotherapy for 5 and homochronous chemotherapy for 14. RESULTS The 5-year overall survival (OS) in the groups A and B was 73.4% and 72.3% respectively (P>0.05); the cancer-correlated survival (CCS) in the 2 groups was 76.4% and 72.3% respectively (P>0.05); the disease-free survival (DFS) in group A and B was 65.5% and 71.7% respectively (P<0.05). A multiple analysis showed that the mode of radiation therapy plus chemotherapy was a favorable independent impact factor for DFS. CONCLUSION Chemotherapy plus radiotherapy can improve the DFS of patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but fails to prolong the survival time of the patients. The modality of chemotherapy plus radiotherapy is not the necessary choice in treatment of patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Klatskin tumor treated by inter-disciplinary therapies including stereotactic radiotherapy: A case report

In view of the poor prognosis of patients with cholangiocarcinoma （CCC）, there is a need for new therapeutic strategies. Inter-disciplinary therapy seems to be most promising. Radiotherapy is an effective alternative to surgery for hilar CCC （Klatskin tumors） if an adequate radiation dose can be delivered to the liver hilus. Here, we describe a patient for whom we used a stereotactic radiotherapy technique in the context of an inter-disdplinary treatment concept. We report a 45-year-old patient with a locally advanced Klatskin tumor. Explorative laparotomy showed that the tumor was not resectable. A metallic stent was implanted and the patient was treated by stereotactic radiotherapy using a body frame. A total dose of 48 Gy （3×4 Gy/wk） was administered. Therapy was well tolerated. After 32 too, local tumor recurrence and a chest wall metastasis developed and were controlled by radio-chemotherapy. After more than 56 mo with a good quality of life, the patient died of advanced neoplastic disease. Stereotactic radiotherapy led to a long-term survival of this patient with a locally advanced Klatskin tumor. In the context of inter-disciplinary treatment concepts, this radiotherapy technique is a promising choice of treatment for patients with hilar CCC.