In a nutshell
This study investigated the patterns of cancer recurrence in non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR).
Some background
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a method of treating early stage, small lung cancer tumors, that cannot be removed by surgery. Like all types of radiotherapy, SABR uses radiation beams to kill cancer cells. However, SABR employs specialized equipment that delivers a very high amount of radiation, in very narrow beams, aimed directly at the tumor. This allows curative treatment of the cancer, while sparing the surrounding tissue from injury. Since SABR is a relatively new method of radiotherapy, the patterns of late cancer recurrence in patients cured by SABR are still being investigated.
Methods & findings
676 patients who were treated with SABR, and found to be cancer free after treatments, were followed for an average of 32.9 months. 124 (18%) of the patients experienced cancer recurrence during this study.
2 years after treatment, 4.9% of patients experienced local recurrence (cancer reappeared at the original treatment site). 7.8% of patients experienced regional recurrence (cancer reappeared in the lung around the original treatment site), and 14.7% of patients experienced distant, or metastatic, recurrence (cancer reappeared at a distant organ). The recurrence rates 5 years after treatment were 10.5% for local recurrence, 12.7% for regional recurrence, and 19.9% for distant recurrence.
Overall, the average time to local recurrence was 14.9 months, while the average time to distant recurrence was 9.6 months.
The bottom line
This study concluded that recurrence after SABR is relatively infrequent; however, standardized follow-up should concentrate on detection of distant recurrence early after SABR.
What’s next?
Consult with your physician regarding surveillance for cancer recurrence after SABR.
Published By :
Lancet oncology
Date :
Aug 01, 2012
