People with advanced liver cancer who are offered proton therapy now have randomized evidence that it did not help patients live longer than standard radiation. In the phase 3 NRG-GI003 trial, proton therapy did not improve overall survival compared with photon, or X-ray, radiation in hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer. The trial stopped at a planned interim analysis after crossing a futility boundary, meaning protons were unlikely to show a survival benefit. The results were presented Sept. 28 during a plenary session at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Boston, according to NRG Oncology.
The finding matters because proton therapy is often described as a gentler, more precise option. It is also far less widely available, which can mean long drives, hotel stays, and insurance hurdles for families. Patients can now weigh those burdens against randomized survival data rather than assumptions.
