Stereotactic radiosurgery for lung tumors

Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and although surgery remains the standard treatment for early-stage tumors, stereotactic radiation is gaining an increasing role as an alternative form of therapy. Initially a form of treatment designed for neurosurgical applications, during the past decade stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has gone from a novel treatment for patients deemed to be prohibitive candidates for surgical resection to the point that there is now an international, randomized, multicenter trial to compare SRS to lobectomy in otherwise-healthy patients. This article reviews the history of SRS as applied to lung tumors, summarizes the currently available data on efficacy and toxicity, and describes some of the current controversial aspects of this treatment.