Surgery versus stereotactic body radiation therapy for early stage lung cancer patients

This study compared two therapy options for early stage lung cancer patients. Standard surgery was compared to stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Early stage lung cancer is typically treated with surgery. At this stage of the disease, the cancer is generally manageable. However, some patients may not be able to tolerate such an invasive procedure.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is generally offered to patients who cannot undergo surgery. This procedure involves using a special device that is able to accurately focus the radiation beams to target tumors while sparing the healthy tissue and organs around them.

This trial included a total of 338 patients with non-small cell lung cancer. One group of patients was treated with surgery (260 patients) while a second group (the remaining 78 patients) received SBRT. Overall survival was greater among patients who received surgery, although when comparing patients with tumors of the same size, the two techniques offered similar survival rates.

In the present study, surgery was associated with improved overall survival compared to stereotactic body radiation therapy.

This study investigated two disproportionate groups of patients, which may have influenced results. A larger study directly comparing SBRT with surgery in patients with similar tumor characteristics is warranted.

Even when surgery is not an option, radiation therapy may yield very good results. You should thoroughly discuss all treatment options with your oncologist.