This randomized phase III trial studies how well transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) works compared to stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) in patients with liver cancer that remain after attempts to remove the cancer have been made (residual) or has come back (recurrent). TACE is a minimally invasive, image-guided treatment procedure that uses a catheter to deliver both chemotherapy medication and embolization materials into the blood vessels that lead to the tumors. SBRT or SABR may be able to send radiation directly to the tumor and cause less damage to normal liver tissue. It is not yet known whether TACE is more effective than SBRT or SABR in treating patients with persistent or recurrent liver cancer who have undergone initial TACE.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the freedom from local progression (FFLP) of TACE versus (vs) SABR in patients with persistent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after TACE. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the progression-free survival (PFS) of TACE vs SABR in patients with persistent HCC after initial TACE. II. To determine the overall survival (OS) of TACE vs SABR for persistent HCC. III. To determine the toxicities associated with TACE or SABR for persistent HCC. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. Arm I: Patients undergo TACE. ARM II: Beginning within 2 weeks of the radiation set-up scan and within 4 weeks of fiducial seed implantation (if applicable), patients undergo image guided SBRT 3 fractions within 1 week or 5 fractions within 2 weeks. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up for 1-2 weeks, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months, and every 6 months up to 3 years.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
13
Undergo SBRT
Undergo TACE
. Acceptable embolic agents include: * Gelatin sponge (gelfoam) * Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles * Microspheres / Embolic beads
Stanford University, School of Medicine
Palo Alto, California, United States
Hokkaido University Hospital
Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Number of Participants With a Local Progression Event
Local progression event: occurring in the treated hepatic lesion.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Comparison of Median Freedom From Extra Hepatic Progression
The time to freedom from extra hepatic progression will be estimated by competing risk models with death as a competing risk. Risk factors such as tumor size and institution will be tested in a multivariate Cox regression model adjusting for the competing risks.
Time frame: Up to 16 weeks
Median Extra Hepatic PFS for Patients With Tumors Smaller Than 3 cm and Greater Than 3 cm Per Treatment Group
Extra hepatic PFS within each subgroup will be summarized by cumulative incidence function estimators adjusted for the competing risk of death or regional or distant progression.
Time frame: At 18 months
Median FFLP for Patients With Tumors Smaller Than 3 cm and With Tumors Greater Than 3 cm Per Treatment Group
FFLP within each subgroup will be summarized by cumulative incidence function estimators adjusted for the competing risk of death or regional or distant progression.
Time frame: At 18 months
Median OS
Overall survival will be summarized using Kaplan-Meier curves and medians with 95% confidence intervals calculated using Greenwood's formula. Log rank tests will be used to compare treatment groups. Cox proportional hazard models will be used to estimate hazard ratios between treatment groups and to assess other risk factors, in particular the effect of tumor size and the impact of the different institutions.
Time frame: Time from randomization until death from any cause, assessed up to 3 years
Median OS for Patients With Tumors Smaller Than 3 cm and Greater Than 3 cm Per Treatment Group
Within each subgroup OS will be summarized using Kaplan-Meier curves and medians with 95% confidence intervals calculated using Greenwood's formula.
Time frame: At 18 months
Number of Participants With Disease Progression or Death
Including local, regional, or distant progression events, or death. Local progression event: occurring in the treated tumor. Regional progression event: occurring in the same part of the body as the treated tumor. Distant progression event: occurring outside the region of the body where the treated tumor is located.
Time frame: Randomization through 3 years
Number of Participants With Disease Progression or Death by Tumor Size (<= 3 cm and > 3 cm) Per Treatment Group
Including local, regional, or distant progression events, or death. Local progression event: occurring in the treated tumor. Regional progression event: occurring in the same part of the body as the treated tumor. Distant progression event: occurring outside the region of the body where the treated tumor is located.
Time frame: Randomization through 18 months
The Impact of Elevated Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Level (AFP) on Freedom From Local Progression (FFLP)
The impact of elevated AFP level on time to event endpoints will be evaluated both in terms of the initial AFP level and on-study levels in a Cox proportional hazards model.
Time frame: Up to 18 months
The Impact of Elevated Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Level (AFP) on Progression-free Survival (PFS)
The impact of elevated AFP level on time to event endpoints will be evaluated both in terms of the initial AFP level and on-study levels in a Cox proportional hazards model.
Time frame: Up to 18 months
The Impact of Elevated Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Level (AFP) on Extra Hepatic PFS
The impact of elevated AFP level on time to event endpoints: FFLP, PFS, extra hepatic PFS and OS will be evaluated both in terms of the initial AFP level and on-study levels in a Cox proportional hazards model.
Time frame: Up to 18 months
The Impact of Elevated Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Level (AFP) on Overall Survival (OS)
The impact of elevated AFP level on time to event endpoints will be evaluated both in terms of the initial AFP level and on-study levels in a Cox proportional hazards model.
Time frame: Up to 18 months
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