Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy effective in elderly patients with NSCLC

A new study shows that stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) with devices such as the CyberKnife VSI System, from Accuray, has become an option of treatment for many elderly patients with stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer who would otherwise be left untreated. Standard techniques including surgery and conventional radiotherapy, are considered too risky and might compromise their quality of life. In the study, data were collected using questionnaires in 382 consecutive patients treated with SABR at 68 Dutch centers, with 86% judged unfit for surgery, and 14% declining surgery. A SABR dose of 60 Gy was delivered in three-, five-, or eight treatment fractions, depending on tumor diameter and location. Median survival was 40 months, with a 2-year survival of 66%. No statistically or clinically significant worsening of any of the health-related quality of life scores were observed at any subsequent follow-up. The study, presented in the July 2012 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, concluded that the health-related quality of life in these patients does not seem to be negatively affected. The lead author of this work is Dr. Frank Lagerwaard. Co-authors include IASLC members Dr. Cornelis Haasbeek, Dr. and Prof. Ben Slotman and Prof. Suresh Senan. See: "Patient-Reported Quality of Life After Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Early-Stage Lung Cancer" Lagerwaard, Frank et al. Journal of Thoracic Oncology: July 2012 - Volume 7 - Issue 7 - p 1148�1154 doi: 10.1097/JTO.0b013e318252cfef