Intraoperative brachytherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

The lung cancer incidence and mortality rates have risen steadily each year. Survival rates during the same period have improved marginally even by the best treatment approaches. A small proportion of patients with limited disease can be offered surgical resection as the primary curative treatment. In a significant number of cases, complete resection of cancer is not possible either because the patient could not tolerate radical surgical approach or because the tumor is attached to important structures in the mediastinum precluding any surgical intervention. Intraoperative brachytherapy by various techniques offers the greatest advantage in these patients to deliver higher doses of radiation to the tumor without damage to the normal lung. Numerous intraoperative brachytherapy techniques are described to adapt to different clinical situations. Experience over the past 30 years has shown that these procedures are safe and well tolerated and can be used alone or as a boost in conjunction with external beam radiation. Published data show encouraging local control rates and survival compared with treatment by external radiation to higher doses.