Stereotactic ablative body radiation for oligometastatic and oligoprogressive disease

Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exists on a spectrum, with a subset of patients presenting with oligometastatic disease involving only a limited number of distant sites. For these patients, local consolidative therapy (LCT) has been demonstrated to improve outcomes through ablation or cytoreduction of metastatic disease, as shown in an increasing number of randomized controlled trials. In particular, stereotactic ablative body radiation (SABR) has emerged as a feasible treatment modality for elimination of oligometastatic sites. This focused review examines the underlying biologic mechanisms and clinical data in support of SABR in the setting of oligometastatic NSCLC. Following a comprehensive evaluation of the pertinent retrospective, prospective, and anticipated trials to date, we summarize the evidence regarding patient selection, treatment safety, and technical considerations to provide guidance of this approach for clinicians.