In a nutshell
This study evaluated whether the safety and effectiveness of iodine (I)-seeded brachytherapy (IBT) for the treatment of NSCLC in older people. The study found that CT-guided IBT is an effective and safe therapy and can be considered as an alternative to surgery and radiotherapy for elderly patients with NSCLC.
Some background
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a difficult disease to treat especially in the elderly (over 65 years of age). The mainstay of treatment for NSCLC is surgical excision (removal of tumors), chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of all three. In older individuals, these therapies may not be possible. This is because older people commonly have additional medical conditions that make intensive treatments hard to take. For these patients, additional treatments are needed.
Computer-tomography (CT) is a computer imaging technique that uses x-rays to look inside the body. IBT is a type of radiotherapy that involves a radioactive implant (seed) being placed into the tumor as a form of radiation therapy. The safety and effectiveness of CT-guided IBT in older patients with NSCLC are still unknown.
Methods & findings
There were 26 patients aged 60 or older with NSCLC in this study. All patients received an IBT implant with CT guiding. Patients were followed up for an average of 9.4 months.
At the 6-month follow-up, complete response (cancer can no longer be detected) to IBT was achieved in 42.3% of patients. Partial response (tumor has shrunk) to IBT was achieved in 34.6% of patients. Stable disease was found in 15.4% of patients. The cancer had worsened in 7.7% of patients.
Overall, the 6-month response rate was 76.9% and the local control rate was 92.3%. The average overall survival (OS) for patients was 11.6 months. After 1 year, 73.3% of the patients were alive.
No serious side effects occurred during follow-up. 6 patients (23.1%) had mild air leaks in the space outside the lungs that recovered without treatment.
The bottom line
The authors concluded CT-guided IBT can be considered a safe and effective therapy in elderly patients with NSCLC.
The fine print
The study had a small number of patients and a short follow-up period. Further larger trials are needed.
Published By :
Oncology letters
Date :
Jul 01, 2020
