ROCHESTER, N.Y., Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Shaped-beam radiation therapy is a promising treatment for metastatic liver tumors, the University of Rochester Medical Center said.
Researchers report an 88 percent success rate for controlling the lesions with precision radiation -- the first evidence such tumors can be treated with radiation. The scientists say the results doubled the average length of survival.
"Radiation therapy has not been a recommended treatment for liver metastases because of the poor results when whole-liver radiation was used," said Dr. Alan Katz, lead researcher and an assistant professor of radiation oncology. "High-dose, precision radiation therapy is proving to be a promising therapy for metastatic liver disease and provides an effective treatment option for patients who previously didn't have any."
Initial treatment results were presented this week during the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's annual meeting in Denver.
