Cutting-edge treatment option for early-stage primary liver cancer

Congratulations to A/Professor Colin Tang, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Radiation Oncology Consultant and Investigator, who recently presented at the Accuray Australasian Symposium on a cutting-edge treatment option for early-stage primary liver cancer.

Prof Tang said his work explores whether stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) could offer a safer, more effective treatment option for people with early-stage liver cancer.

SABR is a highly precise form of radiation therapy that delivers high doses of radiation to tumours, while minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue. An advanced robotic version of this technology is known as CyberKnife. 

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is home to the only public CyberKnife system in Australia, which can automatically track a tumour as it moves during treatment.

Prof Tang said that this type of therapy shows strong potential for treating tumours located in various parts of the body including the lungs, liver, spine, and prostate.

His work targets hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer. 

HCC can develop from hepatitis B and C, alcohol or fatty liver disease. Because it is usually detected late, survival rates remain low - only 1 in 5 people live beyond 5 years after diagnosis. It is the seventh leading cause of cancer death in Australia and the third worldwide.

Prof Tang also highlighted progress in the Australian-led SOCRATES clinical trial, which is comparing SABR (including CyberKnife) with the current standard treatments. 

This trial has now reached half of its planned enrolment. 

Research efforts such as SOCRATES are helping pave the way for lifesaving treatment advances that could benefit patients across Australia and beyond.