Radiation Therapy for Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Theory and Practice

Cancer J. 2015 Sep-Oct;21(5):404-12. doi: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000143.

Abstract

Management paradigms for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) are evolving. Locally ablative therapies are now being increasingly integrated into combined-modality treatment strategies for mNSCLC patients with limited burdens of metastatic foci, termed oligometastases. Concurrently, techniques allowing for precise high-dose radiotherapy delivered over 1 to 5 total treatments, termed stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR), have emerged as a powerful means of noninvasive tumor ablation with broad patient candidacy. Strong rationale exists for ablative therapy in the setting of oligometastatic NSCLC, including patterns-of-failure analyses and data supporting local ablation of oligoprogressive disease for patients with oncogene-addicted mNSCLC treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In this article, we examine the theoretical basis for ablation of oligometastatic NSCLC and review the growing clinical literature of mNSCLC patients treated with ablative radiation therapy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / radiotherapy*
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Patient Selection
  • Treatment Outcome