In a nutshell
This study evaluated the long-term effects of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT; very precise radiation therapy) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
Some background
In the early stage of NSCLC (stage I), surgery is the preferred method of treatment. However, patients often have heart or respiratory disorders which prevent them from surgical treatment. SBRT is an alternate method of treating early stage NSCLC that cannot be removed by surgery. In SBRT, the tumor receives a high-dose radiation while the surrounding normal cells only receive a low dose. This allows treatment of the cancer, while sparing the surrounding tissues from injury.
SBRT is now a well-established treatment for early stage NSCLC. However, long-term follow-up studies are needed. This would help estimate the long-term survival benefit of SBRT and whether extra therapy is needed after SBRT.
Methods & findings
The authors aimed to investigate the long-term effectiveness of SBRT for the treatment of stage I NSCLC.
This study included 57 patients with stage I NSCLC that could not be operated. 72% of patients had tumors that were less than 3 cm and had not spread to other sites (T1N0M0). 28% of patients had tumors that were between 3 and 7 cm and had not spread to other sites (T2N0M0). Patients were followed-up for an average of 41.5 months to assess long-term survival time and rates of relapse.
The cancer never relapsed for 67% of patients after SBRT treatment. The cancer relapsed near to the original site (regional failure) in 12% of patients. The cancer relapsed in a distant site (systemic failure) in 23% of patients.
100 months after SBRT, 12% of patients were still alive, 25% had died of NSCLC and 63% had died of other causes. SBRT was generally well tolerated and no patients died due to the treatment. 17 severe adverse events occurred, these included rib fracture, shortness of breath or increased heart-rate.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that SBRT was a safe and an effective treatment for early stage NSCLC that cannot be operated.
Published By :
Acta Oncologica
Date :
Mar 27, 2015
