The emerging role of stereotactic radiotherapy in gastrointestinal malignancies: a review of the literature and analysis from the Irish perspective

Primary and secondary malignancies of the liver and pancreas result in significant morbidity and mortality, with increasing incidence and increasing demands on health services worldwide. Surgery is the only curative single modality of treatment and remains the gold standard. Unfortunately, up to 80% of the patients present with unresectable disease, and so, alternative efficacious local and systemic treatments are needed. Technologic advances in radiotherapy over recent decades have meant that precision high-dose treatment with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has emerged as a viable cost-effective outpatient-based treatment in the management of these difficult to treat abdominal malignancies. This article reviews the current indications for SBRT in these settings, comparing it with other treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, and trans-arterial chemoembolisation. We also review the current use of abdominal SBRT and future projections in the Irish healthcare setting.