Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Inoperable Early Stage Lung Cancer

Abstract

While anatomical resection is the standard treatment for early stage lung cancer, some patients cannot tolerate surgery due to comorbidities such as emphysema and heart disease. These patients are deemed medically inoperable and are generally offered conventional radiotherapy (most commonly given during 20-30 outpatient treatments) or observed without specific cancer therapy. Outcomes are not ideal with either approach. Conventional radiotherapy fails to durably control the primary lung tumor in 60% to 70% of patients.^1-3 More than half of patients ultimately die specifically from progressive lung cancer with observation^4,5 and 2-year survival is less than 40% with either approach.