for Veterans and the Public
External Radiation therapy (SBRT) - Liver Cancer for Patients
External beams are used to target liver cancer for treatment. We call this SBRT which is short for giving external radiation to treat liver cancer. This option can shrink the tumor and slow its growth. For the most part, treatment is given by radiation oncologist usually for 5 sessions every other day.
However, before starting this treatment, they need to inject tiny markers into liver near cancer to make sure they are targeting the correct area of the liver. This is usually done under sedation. This needs to be confirmed by another cat scan to make sure markers are placed correctly. All of these steps need to happen prior to your treatment. They also need to create a mold that would help you remain still during the procedure. You would need to stay still in the mold for the duration of treatment which is usually 45-60 min.