Developments in early-stage NSCLC: advances in radiotherapy

An increase in the number of predominantly elderly patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer is anticipated in many Western populations. Patients often have major co-morbidities and are at increased risk for surgical morbidity and mortality. In the past decade, the use of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) has achieved excellent results, with only mild toxicity in such vulnerable patient groups, leading to SABR becoming accepted as a standard of care for unfit patients in several countries. The planning and delivery of SABR has rapidly improved in recent years, particularly with the use of 'on-board' imaging at treatment units, and shortened treatment delivery times. Increasingly, more central tumors are being treated using lower doses per fraction (so-called risk-adapted schemes). It is also becoming clear that long-term follow-up should take place at specialist centers in order to distinguish the evolving fibrosis that is frequently observed from the relatively infrequent local recurrences. Given the high local control rates and limited toxicity, increasing attention is being paid to the use of SABR in the subgroup of so-called borderline operable patients, and clinical trials comparing surgery and SABR in these patients are ongoing.