New radiation therapy shows promise against lung cancer

Cancer Ronald McGarry, MD, PhD Radiation Medicine What the news means for you New radiation therapy shows promise against lung cancer April 12, 2010 (continued on back) (continued on back) A relatively new type of radiation therapy — stereotactic body... More

Cancer Ronald McGarry, MD, PhD Radiation Medicine What the news means for you New radiation therapy shows promise against lung cancer April 12, 2010 (continued on back) (continued on back) A relatively new type of radiation therapy — stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) — appears to rid patients with early-stage disease of lung cancer cells better than conventional radiotherapy. SBRT may also increase a lung cancer patient’s life expectancy. Such were the findings of a nationwide study published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Advanced Technology Consortium, looked at 55 patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer who could not have traditional surgery because of other medical conditions. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer. Surgery is usually recommended to remove the tumor, but conditions such as emphysema and heart disease render the disease inoperable in Less