Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41994016›Full record

ReviewESMO gastrointestinal oncology2026

Stereotactic body radiotherapy in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

J K van Vulpen, M C Verwijs, F K Gommers, R A H van Eijck van Heslinga, S van Meer, C J R Verstraete, J Hagendoorn, M G E H Lam, N Haj Mohammad, M L J Smits and 3 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in ESMO gastrointestinal oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

J K van VulpenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M C VerwijsDepartments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
F K GommersDepartments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
R A H van Eijck van HeslingaDepartments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
S van MeerDepartments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
C J R VerstraeteDepartments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
J HagendoornDepartments of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M G E H LamDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
N Haj MohammadDepartments of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M L J SmitsDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M N G J A BraatDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M P W IntvenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
J de BruijneDepartments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: First-line treatment strategies for (very) early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) include liver transplantation, surgical resection and thermal ablation. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has recently been included in the European Association for the Study of the Liver Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma as an alternative ablative strategy. We aimed to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis on oncological outcomes and toxicity of SBRT focused on early-stage HCC treatment. Materials and methods: We carried out a systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception throughout October 2022. Studies of SBRT targeting treatment-naive (very) early-stage HCC (BCLC 0/A) patients were included. Results: One prospective and 15 retrospective studies were included in this review. In aggregate, SBRT in 1249 patients resulted in a 1-, 2-, and 3-year local control rate of 94% (95% CI 92%-97%), 89% (95% CI 85%-93%), and 79% (95% CI 68%-90%), respectively. The pooled results of the 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rate were 90% (95% CI 85%-94%), 75% (95% CI 63%-87%), and 59% (95% CI 45%-73%), respectively. Grade ≥3 toxicity was observed in 2% of patients (95% CI 0%-4%). Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that SBRT is an effective and safe treatment modality for treatment-naive patients with early-stage HCC. The data support incorporation of SBRT as a treatment option in the treatment algorithms for (very) early-stage HCC.

Indexed as

ablative treatmentlocal controlprimary liver cancerradiotherapytoxicity

Identifiers

PMID41994016
PMCPMC13080873

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.