Stereotactic radiosurgery for lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. Anatomic lobectomy is the standard treatment and offers the best results for curative treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With an aging population, a significant proportion of patients are not surgical candidates at the time of diagnosis. In medically inoperable patients, standard external beam radiation has been offered as treatment, with suboptimal results. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a term coined by Leksell describes an approach using multiple convergent beams, precise localization with a stereotactic coordinate system, and rigid immobilization. It provides precise delivery of beams from multiple collimated paths which maximizes radiation delivery to the tumor, and minimizes the exposure of normal tissue. Early results with SRS are very encouraging, and prospective trials are underway in our institution and others to evaluate its role in early stage NSCLC. In article we review the role of stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of lung cancer.