scout

Oncology Vol 28 No 1S

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is increasingly used as the primary treatment for early-stage medically inoperable non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although the role of SBRT is established in the treatment of peripheral lung tumors, the outcomes and toxicities of SBRT for central lung tumors are not well characterized. This study investigates our institutional experience with SBRT for central tumors in NSCLC patients.

In patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), there are few established predictors of outcomes. Pretreatment maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) has recently been debated as a prognosticator of progression-free survival (PFS). Here, we present a retrospective series with up to 86 months follow-up evaluating potential prognosticators of outcomes.

Technical advances in radiotherapy (RT), especially stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR), have allowed many non–small-cell lung cancer patients once considered untreatable to be eligible for locally effective therapies. Some patients will experience recurrence or will present with multiple lung primaries. We review the success and impact of SABR in patients who have undergone multiple course therapy.

Recent data suggest that metformin is a potent radiosensitizer in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, metformin use is associated with improved response to chemoradiotherapy in multiple tumor types. Based on these data, clinical trials incorporating metformin and radiotherapy are currently in development.

We provide evidence that irradiating tumors at a time point when formation of androgen-induced double-strand breaks is ongoing provides superior control when compared with radiation that is delivered when tumors are fully deprived of androgens. These results may have significant implications for altering current clinical management of intermediate-and high-risk prostate cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy.

TraceIT hydrogel, injected endoscopically under local anesthesia in an office setting, can be considered a feasible option to precisely map tumor location with margins to facilitate targeted RT. The precise delineation of tumor margins on cone beam CT (CBCT) obtained with TraceIT could significantly improve an oncological outcome with minimal side effects.