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World J Clin Oncol. Jan 10, 2019; 10(1): 14-27
Published online Jan 10, 2019. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v10.i1.14
Stereotactic body radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer: A review
Kavitha M Prezzano, Sung Jun Ma, Gregory M Hermann, Charlotte I Rivers, Jorge A Gomez-Suescun, Anurag K Singh
Kavitha M Prezzano, Sung Jun Ma, Gregory M Hermann, Charlotte I Rivers, Jorge A Gomez-Suescun, Anurag K Singh, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14214, United States
Kavitha M Prezzano, Sung Jun Ma, Gregory M Hermann, Charlotte I Rivers, Jorge A Gomez-Suescun, Anurag K Singh, Department of Radiation Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, United States
Author contributions: Prezzano KM and Ma SJ completed the literature review and compiled the tables; Prezzano KM, Ma SJ, Hermann GM and Rivers CI drafted the manuscript and contributed to analysis; Singh AK and Gomez-Suescun JA developed the concept and led the editing process; all authors contributed to data interpretation, editing the manuscript, and approval of the final version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There are no conflicts of interest for any of the above authors.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Anurag K Singh, MD, Professor, Department of Radiation Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, 665 Elm St., Buffalo, NY 14263, United States. anurag.singh@roswellpark.org
Telephone: +1-716-8455715 Fax: +1-716-8457616
Received: September 25, 2018
Peer-review started: September 25, 2018
First decision: October 16, 2018
Revised: November 29, 2018
Accepted: December 17, 2018
Article in press: December 17, 2018
Published online: January 10, 2019
Processing time: 93 Days and 5.6 Hours
Abstract

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is the treatment of choice for medically inoperable patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A literature search primarily based on PubMed electronic databases was completed in July 2018. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined prior to the search, and only prospective clinical trials were included. Nineteen trials from 2005 to 2018 met the inclusion criteria, reporting the outcomes of 1434 patients with central and peripheral early stage NSCLC. Patient eligibility, prescription dose and delivery, and follow up duration varied widely. Three-years overall survival ranged from 43% to 95% with loco-regional control of up to 98% at 3 years. Up to 33% of patients failed distantly after SBRT at 3 years. SBRT was generally well tolerated with 10%-30% grade 3-4 toxicities and a few treatment-related deaths. No differences in outcomes were observed between conventionally fractionated radiation therapy and SBRT, central and peripheral lung tumors, or inoperable and operable patients. SBRT remains a reasonable treatment option for medically inoperable and select operable patients with early stage NSCLC. SBRT has shown excellent local and regional control with toxicity rates equivalent to surgery. Decreasing fractionation schedules have been consistently shown to be both safe and effective. Distant failure is common, and chemotherapy may be considered for select patients. However, the survival benefit of additional interventions, such as chemotherapy, for early stage NSCLC treated with SBRT remains unclear.

Keywords: Lung cancer; Non-small cell lung cancer; Stereotactic body radiation therapy; Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy; Distant failure

Core tip: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) offers excellent local and regional control for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and is often the treatment of choice for medically inoperable patients. This literature review provides an updated analysis of prospective clinical trials evaluating clinical outcomes following SBRT for early stage NSCLC.