Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) can be used to treat a patient with early-stage non-small-cell lung (NSCL) cancer who is unable to undergo a surgical resection.
SBRT involves administration of high-dose radiation fractions precisely to a tumor. It is delivered in short courses with multiple, highly conformal beams of radiation. This requires precise patient positioning (in a stereotactic body frame) and tumor localization. Irradiaton of normal tissue is reduced, with less toxicity.
Patient selection – both of the following:
(1) The patient has a small, peripheral non-small-cell lung carcinoma that has not metastasized to lymph nodes or to a distant location (Stage I).
(2) The patient is inoperable (due to severe comorbid illness and/or low performance status).
Increased toxicity (Grade 3 or higher) was increased for patients with:
(1) central tumors (hilar or perihilar, involving the proximal bronchial tree)
(2) larger tumors (> 10 mL total volume, or > 2.7 cm in diameter)
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