This report is part of a 12-month Clinical Context series.
This study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Compared with historical reports, the use of stereotactic body radiation therapy in inoperable early lung cancer appears to result in better 3-year and 5-year survival rates.
Note that stereotactic body radiation therapy was well-tolerated with only mild toxicity.
Compared with historical reports, the use of stereotactic body radiation therapy in inoperable early lung cancer appears to result in longer 3-year and 5-year survival, Japanese researchers reported here.
About 60% of 104 patients diagnosed with Stage IA non-small cell lung cancer achieved a 3-year overall survival and 40.8% were alive at 5 years, said Yasushi Nagata, MD, professor and chairman of radiation oncology at the University of Hiroshima, at a press briefing during the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.
"Our study found that stereotactic body radiation therapy for inoperable lung cancer patients was highly effective and showed mild toxicity," Nagata said. "This treatment should be the new standard, replacing conventional radiotherapy for this population of patients."
Even though the patients in the study had very early stage cancer -- T1N0M0, Nagata told MedPage Today, "These patients were inoperable mainly because of their age and other comorbid conditions, as they were smokers, and their pulmonary function was compromised. We felt that stereotactic radiotherapy was the better choice for them."
He said that stereotactic body radiation therapy is less invasive, is believed to be effective against early stage lung cancer and was found to be feasible in patients with operable cancer. "This presentation is the first report for inoperable population," he said in his oral presentation.
02/11/2012 : By Ed Susman / MedPage Today.
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