To evaluate the short-term therapeutic effect and safety of Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) on elderly patients with single Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC).

A total of 22 elderly patients with single HCC (maximum size was less than 5 cm) were enrolled in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2017. All patients received SBRT therapy and were followed up regularly. Hepatic enhanced MRI examinations were performed to evaluate the short-term therapeutic effect and safety at 1, 3 and 6 months after completion of SBRT.

The size of HCC lesions was significantly smaller after SBRT (t=6.211, 4.824, 4.209, all P<0.01). At 1, 3 and 6 months after SBRT, the complete remission (CR) were 13.6%, 13.6% and 18.2% ; the partial remission (PR) were 68.2%, 63.6% and 54.5%, respectively; the stable disease (SD) were 13.6%, 9.1% and 9.1%; the Progress disease (PD) were 4.5%, 13.6% and 18.2%. The total effective rate of treatment (RR) were 81.8%, 77.3% and 72.7%, respectively. The main adverse effects were grade I-II including myelosuppression, radioactive gastroenteritis and radioactive hepatitis and were tolerable for all participants in current study.

SBRT is effective and tolerable for single HCC with lesion less than 5 cm in the elderly.