3D-Radiation Therapy Improves Survival in Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
According to a new study appearing in the September 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the modern three-dimensional radiation therapy proved to be more successful in curing lung cancer as compared to the older two-dimensional radiation therapy in some patients with early stage lung cancer.
87% of all lung cancer diagnosed is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whose current best treatment for stage 1 is surgery or stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT), usually followed by chemotherapy (if lesion was larger than 3 cm) or radiotherapy and chemotherapy (if surgical margin or hilar or mediastinal nodes were positive at the time of operation).
In such a treatment process, the five year survival rates are very high at 50 to 67%. In cases when surgery is not an option, when the patient has heart problems or other complications, treatment options would include various types of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, either alone or in combination.
In the abovementioned study, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center doctors evaluated whether conventional radiation therapy worked as well as the newer three dimensional conformal radiation therapy (also called 3D-CRT) in the treatment of patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer.
The 3D-CRT was created to improve upon older types of radiation therapy by allowing doctors to aim several radiation beams at the tumor to shape or “conform” the radiation to the lung. The idea is that tailoring each beam allows doctors to give more radiation to the tumor while keeping it away from nearby healthy tissues.
In the said study, the three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy has shown to improve outcomes for patients with medically inoperable stage I non-small cell lung cancer.
Dr. Ritsuko Komaki, radiation oncologist and professor at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston recommends that patients which such type of cancer should ask their radiation oncologist about 3D-CRT.
More details from PR Newswire.
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