Stereotactic body radiotherapy for operable early-stage non-small cell lung cancer

Recent Advancements in Minimally Invasive Surgery for Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Narrative Review

Introduction: Lung cancer remains a global health concern, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprising the majority of cases. Early detection of lung cancer has led to an increased number of cases identified in the earlier stages of NSCLC. This required the revaluation of the NSCLC treatment approaches for early stage NSCLC. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search using multiple databases to identify relevant studies on treatment modalities for early stage NSCLC. Inclusion criteria prioritized, but were not limited to, clinical trials and meta-analyses on surgical approaches to early stage NSCLC conducted from 2021 onwards. Discussion: Minimally invasive approaches, such as VATS and RATS, along with lung resection techniques, including sublobar resection, have emerged as treatments for early stage NSCLC. Ground-glass opacities (GGOs) have shown prognostic significance, especially when analyzing the consolidation/tumor ratio (CTR). There have also been updates on managing GGOs, including the non-surgical approaches, the extent of lung resection indicated, and the level of lymphadenectomy required. Conclusions: The management of early stage NSCLC requires a further assessment of treatment strategies. This includes understanding the required extent of surgical resection, interpreting the significance of GGOs (specifically GGOs with a high CTR), and evaluating the efficacy of alternative therapies. Customized treatment involving surgical and non-surgical interventions is essential for advancing patient care.

Efficacy and safety of stereotactic radiotherapy on elderly patients with stage I-II central non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Many studies demonstrated the safety and efficacy of SBRT in the treatment of elderly patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, those studies focused on patients with peripheral lung cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and toxicity of SBRT in elderly patients with stage I-II central NSCLC in single institution.

Methods

From April 2009 to January 2020, a retrospective study was conducted on patients ≥ 65 years old with stage I-II NSCLC that was centrally localized and treated with SBRT at a single institution. Absolute C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio (CAR) and body mass index (BMI) recorded at pretreatment were analyzed. Endpoints included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific death, noncancer-specific death, local progression (LP) and distant progression (DP).

Results

Stereotactic body radiation treatment (SBRT) was administered to a total of 44 patients. The most common dose fractionation schedule was 60 Gy given in 5 fractions. The median PFS of the cohort was 31 months (95% CI, 19.47-42.53 months). The median OS of all patients was 69 months (95% CI, 33.8-104.2 months). The median time to noncancer-specific death was 54.5 months. The median time to cancer-specific death was 36 months. The cumulative incidences of cancer-specific death at 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years were 11.63% (95%CI, 4.2-23.23%), 42.99% (95%CI, 27.56-57.53%), and 65.94% (95%CI, 45.76-80.1%), respectively. pre-SBRT BMI of ≤ 22.77 (HR 4.60, 95% CI 1.84-11.51, P=0.001) and pre-SBRT CAR of ≤0.91 (HR 5.19, 95% CI 2.15-12.52, P<0.000) were significant predictors of higher OS on multivariable analysis. The median times to LP and DP were 10 months and 11 months, respectively. In terms of acute toxicity, grade 1 including cough (38.64%), radiation pneumonitis (29.55%), anemia (25%), and fatigue (20.45%) was often observed. There was no evidence of grade 4 or 5 acute toxicity. In terms of late toxicity, 2 patients developed grade 1 pulmonary fibrosis during follow-up.

Conclusion

This study showed that SBRT can effectively control local tumor progression, and have acceptable toxicity for elderly patients with centrally located stage I-II NSCLC. Lower pre-SBRT BMI and lower pre-SBRT CAR were associated with a decreased risk of cancer-specific death.

Optimal Radiation Therapy Fractionation Regimens for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE

A series of radiobiological models were developed to study tumor control probability (TCP) for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) per the Hypofractionated Treatment Effects in the Clinic (HyTEC) working group. This study was conducted to further validate 3 representative models with the recent clinical TCP data ranging from conventional radiation therapy to SBRT of early-stage NSCLC and to determine systematic optimal fractionation regimens in 1 to 30 fractions for radiation therapy of early-stage NSCLC that were found to be model-independent.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Recent clinical 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year actuarial or Kaplan-Meier TCP data of 9808 patients from 56 published papers were collected for radiation therapy of 2 to 4 Gy per fraction and SBRT of early-stage NSCLC. This data set nearly triples the original HyTEC sample, which was used to further validate the HyTEC model parameters determined from a fit to the clinical TCP data.

RESULTS

TCP data from the expanded data set are well described by the HyTEC models with α/β ratios of about 20 Gy. TCP increases sharply with biologically effective dose and reaches an asymptotic maximal plateau, which allows us to determine optimal fractionation schemes for radiation therapy of early-stage NSCLC.

CONCLUSIONS

The HyTEC radiobiological models with α/β ratios of about 20 Gy determined from the fits to the clinical TCP data for SBRT of early-stage NSCLC describe the recent TCP data well for both radiation therapy of 2 to 4 Gy per fraction and SBRT dose and fractionation schemes of early-stage NSCLC. A steep dose response exists between TCP and biologically effective dose, and TCP reaches an asymptotic maximum. This feature results in model-independent optimal fractionation regimens determined whenever safe for SBRT and hypofractionated radiation therapy of early-stage NSCLC in 1 to 30 fractions to achieve asymptotic maximal tumor control, and T2 tumors require slightly higher optimal doses than T1 tumors. The proposed optimal fractionation schemes are consistent with clinical practice for SBRT of early-stage NSCLC.

A new method for assessing lung tumor motion in radiotherapy using dynamic chest radiography

Dynamic chest radiography (DCR) is a recent advanced modality to acquire dynamic and functional images. We developed a new method using DCR and the free analysis software, Kinovea, to assess lung tumor motion. This study aimed to demonstrate the usefulness of our method. Phantom and clinical studies were performed. In the phantom study, dynamic images of a moving lead sphere were acquired using DCR, and the motion of the phantom was tracked using Kinovea in a DCR video. The amplitude of phantom motion was measured and compared with a predetermined baseline amplitude. In a clinical study, DCR and respiratory‐gated four‐dimensional computed tomography (4D‐CT) were performed on 15 patients who underwent stereotactic body radiation therapy for lung tumors. The amplitudes of tumor motion in DCR and 4D‐CT were measured in the superior‐inferior (SI), left‐right (LR), and anterior‐posterior (AP) directions, and the square root of the sum of squares (SRSS) of the amplitude was calculated in all directions. Spearman's rank correlation and the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test were performed to determine the correlations of the amplitudes of tumor motion obtained using DCR and 4D‐CT. In the phantom study, the absolute mean error between the measured and predetermined amplitudes was 0.60 mm (range: 0.061.53 mm). In the clinical study, the amplitudes of tumor motion obtained using DCR correlated significantly with those of 4D‐CT in the SI and LR directions, as did the SRSS values. The median amplitudes for DCR were significantly higher than those for 4D‐CT in all (SI, LR, and AP) directions, as were the SRSS values. Our proposed method based on DCR and Kinovea is useful for assessing lung tumor motion, visually and quantitatively. Therefore, DCR has potential as a new modality for evaluating lung tumor motion in radiotherapy.

Transition of Treatment for Ground Glass Opacity-Dominant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lobectomy has been the standard surgical treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Over the decades, with the dramatic development of radiographic tools, such as high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and the widespread practice of low-dose helical CT for screening, the number of cases diagnosed with small-cell lung cancers with ground glass opacity (GGO) at early stages has been increasing. Accordingly, mainly after 2000, many retrospective studies and prospective trials have shown that patients with lung adenocarcinoma with GGO have a good prognosis and may be candidates for sublobar resection. Previous studies indicated that HRCT findings including the maximum diameter of the tumor, GGO ratio, and a consolidation/tumor ratio (CTR) are simple and useful tools to predict tumor invasiveness and prognosis in patients with NSCLC with GGO. Thus, sublobar resection may be considered a “standard therapy” for peripheral GGO-dominant small-cell lung adenocarcinomas. Ultimately, some of such tumors might not require surgical resection. A multicenter, prospective study has just begun in Japan to evaluate the validity of follow-up for small-sized GGO-dominant small-cell lung cancer. Lung cancers that do not require surgery should be identified. This study reviewed retrospective and prospective studies on GGO tumors and discussed the treatment strategies for such tumors.

A propensity-matched analysis of stereotactic body radiotherapy and sublobar resection for stage I non-small cell lung cancer in patients at high risk for lobectomy: the results in a Chinese population

Background

To investigate the comparative effectiveness of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and sublobar resection (SLR) in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) considered to be high-risk lobectomy patients.

Methods

From January 2012 to December 2015, patients who underwent SBRT or SLR for clinical stage I NSCLC were examined retrospectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce selection bias in SBRT and SLR patients.

Results

Data from 86 SBRT and 79 SLR patients was collected. Median follow-up periods of the SBRT and SLR groups were 32 and 37 months, respectively. Patients treated with SBRT exhibited significantly higher age, higher likelihood of being male, larger tumor diameter, lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and poorer performance status compared with SLR patients. There were no significant differences between SBRT and SLR patients for 3-year overall survival (OS) (80.3% and 82.3%, P=0.405), cause-specific survival (CSS) (81.3% and 83.4%, P=0.383), and local control (LC) (89.7% and 86.0%, P=0.501). Forty-nine patients were identified from each group after performing PSM. After patients were matched for age, gender, performance status, tumor characteristics and pulmonary function, no significant differences were observed in 3-year OS (85.4% and 73.3%, P=0.649), CSS (87.2% and 74.9%, P=0.637) and LC (95.6% and 82.1%, P=0.055). Prevalence of significant adverse events (grade 3 or worse) was 0% and 10.2% in the matched SBRT and SLR groups (P=0.056), respectively.

Conclusions

Disease control and survival in the SBRT patients was equivalent to that seen in SLR patients with stage I NSCLC considered high-risk lobectomy candidates. SBRT could therefore be an alternative option to SLR in treating patients with a high operative risk.

Management for Residual Ground-Glass Opacity Lesions After Resection of Main Tumor in Multifocal Lung Cancer: A Case Report and Literature Review

There are increasing numbers of synchronous multiple primary lung cancer (SMPLC) patients in clinical practice, with most lesions presenting as ground-glass opacity (GGO). For SMPLC patients, surgical resection should be a prior option for all lesions suspected of being malignant, if medically and technically feasible. However, it is frequently a dilemma for the management of residual GGO lesions that were unresected simultaneously with the main tumor in SMPLC patients. We report a case of SMPLC, in which the patient underwent surgical resection of the major lesion with EGFR mutation and then received compelling EGFR-TKI treatment for one enlarging residual GGO lesion after 12 months since operation. Furthermore, a comprehensive literature review about the risk for the progress of GGOs unresected simultaneously with the main lesion and the management of these residual GGOs was also summarized. With the treatment of EGFR-TKI gefitinib for 3 months, the biggest residual GGO lesion (more than 10mm) achieved a complete response (CR), three lesions reduced in size, and the other three lesions remained stable in this case. Surgical resection for major lesion and EGFR-TKI treatment on unresected GGOs might bring favorable outcome for patients with EGFR-mutated multifocal lung cancer. This strategy is safe and effective, which could be a promising therapeutic approach for unresectable GGO lesions in EGFR-mutated SMPLC patients after primary surgery. Notably, folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cell (FR⁺-CTC) for therapeutic monitoring was more sensitive for GGO-featured lung adenocarcinoma than serum markers.

Dosimetric evaluation of SBRT treatment plans of non-central lung tumours: clinical experience

Objectives:

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in both men and women in North America. Surgery is usually the primary treatment option for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, for patients who may not be suitable candidates for surgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an alternative method of treatment. SBRT has proven to be an effective technique for treating NSCLC patients by focally administering high radiation dose to the tumour with acceptable risk of toxicity to surrounding healthy tissues. The goal of this comprehensive retrospective dosimetric study is to compare the dosimetric parameters between three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) lung SBRT treatment plans for two prescription doses.

Methods:

We retrospectively analysed and compared lung SBRT treatment plans of 263 patients treated with either a 3DCRT non-coplanar or with 2–3 VMAT arcs technique at 48 Gy in 4 fractions (48 Gy/4) or 50 Gy in 5 fractions (50 Gy/5) prescribed to the planning target volume (PTV), typically encompassing the 80% isodose volume. All patients were treated on either a Varian 21EX or TrueBeam linear accelerator using 6-MV or 10-MV photon beams.

Results:

The mean PTV V95% and V100% for treatment plans at 48 Gy/4 are 99·4 ± 0·6% and 96·0 ± 1·0%, respectively, for 3DCRT and 99·7 ± 0·4% and 96·4 ± 3·4%, respectively, for VMAT. The corresponding mean PTV V95% and V100% at 50 Gy/5 are 99·0 ± 1·4% and 95·5 ± 2·5% for 3DCRT and 99·5 ± 0·8% and 96·1 ± 1·6% for VMAT. The CIRI and HI5/95 for the PTV at 48 Gy/4 are 1·1 ± 0·1 and 1·2 ± 0·0 for 3DCRT and 1·0 ± 0·1 and 1·2 ± 0·0 for VMAT. The corresponding CIRI and HI5/95 at 50 Gy/5 are 1·1 ± 0·1 and 1·3 ± 0·1 for 3DCRT and 1·0 ± 0·1 and 1·2 ± 0·0 for VMAT. The mean R50% and D2cm at 48 Gy/4 are 5·0 ± 0·8 and 61·2 ± 7·0% for 3DCRT and 4·9 ± 0·8 and 57·8 ± 7·9% for VMAT. The corresponding R50% and D2cm at 50 Gy/5 are 4·7 ± 0·5 and 65·5 ± 9·4% for 3DCRT and 4·7 ± 0·7 and 60·0 ± 7·2% for VMAT.

Conclusion:

The use of 3DCRT or VMAT technique for lung SBRT is an efficient and reliable method for achieving dose conformity, rapid dose fall-off and minimising doses to the organs at risk. The VMAT technique resulted in improved dose conformity, rapid dose fall-off from the PTV compared to 3DCRT, although the magnitude may not be clinically significant.

Efficacy and Safety of Iodine-125 Brachytherapy in the Treatment of Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background

Recurrent or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a difficult challenge for physicians, especially when patients have been treated with external beam radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of computed tomography (CT)-guided iodine-125 brachytherapy as a palliative treatment for R/M HNSCC.

Methods

From May 2011 to July 2018, we enrolled 87 patients with R/M HNSCC who had previously received external beam radiotherapy. Among these patients, 43 successfully underwent CT-guided iodine-125 brachytherapy and chemotherapy (group A); 44 patients who only received chemotherapy (group B) were matched with patients in group A. Patients' pain score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, tumor compression symptoms, and side effects of iodine-125 implantation were recorded. Clinical follow-up was performed to assess progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Both groups of patients completed the treatment and were followed up for 9-66 months, with a median follow-up time of 44 months. The OS was 51 months (95% CI: 42.93-59.06 months) versus 28 months (95% CI: 23.79-32.21 months) (p < 0.05), the PFS was 10 months (95% CI: 6.15-13.84 months) versus 6 months (95% CI: 4.40-7.59 months) (p < 0.05) in groups A and B, respectively. The RR in group A was 25/43 (58.14%) versus 15/44 (34.10%) in group B (p < 0.05). Compared with group B, patients in group A had lower pain scores, better physical performance, and better improvement of compression symptoms. No serious treatment-related complications were observed in either group of patients.

Conclusion

Compared with chemotherapy alone, iodine-125 seed implantation combined with chemotherapy was a more effective and safer strategy for R/M HNSCC.

The CT appearance pattern of radiation-induced lung injury and tumor recurrence after stereotactic body radiation therapy in early stage non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Radiographic changes after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) have not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the computed tomography (CT) appearance pattern of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) and recurrence after SBRT in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of inoperable early stage NSCLC patients undergoing SBRT treatment from February 2012 to June 2018. All patients had undergone serial CT scanning before SBRT and after completion of SBRT. An experienced radiation oncologist and radiologist reviewed all CT images, and identified the RILI and CT high-risk features (HRFs).

Results

A total of 60 patients were enrolled in this study; 55 patients had RILI (91.67%) and 7 patients had local failure. In the early CT findings of observers 1 and 2, there were diffuse ground glass opacities (GGOs) in 3 and 4 patients, diffuse consolidation in 10 and 12 patients, patchy consolidation in 22 and 15 patients, patchy GGOs in 19 and 24 patients, and no changes in 5 and 4 patients, respectively (kappa =0.706). In the late CT findings of observer 1 and 2, there were modified conventional patterns in 37 and 37 patients, mass-like patterns in 10 and 9 patients, scar-like patterns in 7 and 8 patients, and no changes in 5 and 5 patients, respectively (kappa =0.726). In the results of the CT-based HRFs of disease local failure, there were ≥1 HRFs in 7 patients, ≥2 HRFs in 7 patients, ≥3 HRFs in 6 patients, ≥4 HRFs in 5 patients, and ≥5 HRFs in 3 patients, respectively. Patients with only 1 HRF showed high sensitivity (100%) and low specificity (52.80%), with the specificity increasing and the sensitivity decreasing as the number of HRFs increased.

Conclusions

The agreement of the CT appearance on RILI between 2 observers was good. Regular follow-up and attention to HRFs are vital for better identifying RILI and local disease failure.

Oncologic Outcomes of Surgery Versus SBRT for Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The optimal treatment of stage I non-small-cell lung carcinoma is subject to debate. The aim of this study was to compare overall survival and oncologic outcomes of lobar resection (LR), sublobar resection (SR), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of oncologic outcomes of propensity matched comparative and noncomparative cohort studies was performed. Outcomes of interest were overall survival and disease-free survival. The inverse variance method and the random-effects method for meta-analysis were utilized to assess the pooled estimates.

RESULTS

A total of 100 studies with patients treated for clinical stage I non-small-cell lung carcinoma were included. Long-term overall and disease-free survival after LR was superior over SBRT in all comparisons, and for most comparisons, SR was superior to SBRT. Noncomparative studies showed superior long-term overall and disease-free survival for both LR and SR over SBRT. Although the papers were heterogeneous and of low quality, results remained essentially the same throughout a large number of stratifications and sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

Results of this systematic review and meta-analysis showed that LR has superior outcomes compared to SBRT for cI non-small-cell lung carcinoma. New trials are underway evaluating long-term results of SBRT in potentially operable patients.

Prognostic impact of solid tumor component diameter in early-stage non-small cell lung carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated fractionated radiotherapy: a retrospective analysis impact of solid tumor component diameter in NSCLC treated with IMRT

Objective:

To investigate the suitability of the new diameter-based subgroupings of the eighth edition Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) classification system regarding radiotherapy treatment for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we retrospectively re-analyzed the clinical data of patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy using non-coplanar beams (ncIMRT) for Stage I NSCLC.

Methods:

Between March 2011 and March 2018, 92 patients with 94 tumors who were diagnosed with Stage I NSCLC according to the seventh edition TNM classification system were enrolled and underwent ncIMRT of 75 Gy in 30 fractions. Local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were retrospectively investigated according to the T-classification subdivisions of the eighth edition and maximal solid tumor component diameter.

Results:

The median follow-up period was 32.5 months. The median maximum tumor and solid tumor component diameters were 22 mm and 18 mm, respectively. 3-year LC, PFS, and OS rates were 84.1%, 69.4%, and 85.3%, respectively. The 3-year LC rates were 91.0 and 76.8% in the groups with tumor diameter ≤2 cm and >2 cm, corresponding to the T1c and T1b subdivisions of the eighth edition, respectively (p = 0.24). In the ≤2 cm and >2 cm solid tumor component groups, the 3 year LC rates were 93.6 and 63.2%, respectively, which were significantly different (p = 0.007).

Conclusion:

LC rates after radiotherapy in patients with Stage I NSCLC were correlated with solid tumor component diameter. High LC rates in patients with solid tumor components <2 cm in diameter were associated with high PFS and OS rates.

Advances in knowledge:

This study suggests that the eighth edition TNM classification system, which focuses on solid tumor components rather than tumor diameter, can be applied to radiotherapy.

Video-assisted thoracic lobectomy versus stereotactic body radiotherapy for stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer in elderly patients: a propensity matched comparative analysis

Comparative studies of the overall survival (OS) in elderly patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after surgery or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) have been limited by mixed extents of resection and different surgical approaches.

792 patients aged ≥65 years with clinical stage I NSCLC underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy or SBRT between 2010 and 2015. The propensity score-matched primary analysis included data from the full cohort; the secondary analysis included data from a subgroup of patients with data on pulmonary function.

Median OS for unmatched patients was 77 months for patients undergoing VATS lobectomy and 38 months for SBRT. The 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates after VATS lobectomy were 92%, 76% and 65%, and after SBRT were 90%, 52% and 29% (p<0.001). Median OS for matched patients in the primary analysis was 77 months for patients undergoing VATS lobectomy and 33 months for SBRT. The 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates after VATS lobectomy were 91%, 68% and 58%, and after SBRT were 87%, 46% and 29% (p<0.001). The survival advantage with VATS lobectomy persisted in the secondary analysis after adjusting for non-matched variables (p=0.034).

We suggest that elderly patients with stage I NSCLC undergoing VATS lobectomy have a better rate of OS than patients undergoing SBRT, irrespective of matching. This could be clinically important in decision-making for elderly patients who can tolerate surgery.

Multi-institutional analysis of stereotactic body radiation therapy for operable early-stage non-small cell lung carcinoma

PURPOSE

Although stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is the standard of care for inoperable early-stage non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), its role for medically operable patients remains controversial. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a multi-institutional study to assess post-SBRT disease control and survival outcomes in medically operable patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study including patients with biopsy-proven cT1-2N0M0 NSCLC treated with definitive SBRT (2006-2015). Per patient charts, inoperability referred to documentation of poor surgical candidacy with a given rationale for lack of resection. Charts of operable patients contained documentation of patients refusing surgery or choosing SBRT, without a documented rationale for inoperability. Subjects were excluded in cases of ambiguity regarding the aforementioned definitions and/or lack of clearly documented operability status. Endpoints included local failure (LF) and regional-distant failure, both evaluated with Fine and Gray competing risks regression; Kaplan-Meier methodology analyzed overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Of 952 patients, 408 (42.9%) were operable, and 544 (57.1%) were inoperable. Median follow-up was 22 months. Two-year LF was 9.7% in operable patients and 8.2% in inoperable patients (p = 0.36). There was no statistical difference in regional-distant failure (p = 0.55) between cohorts. Operable patients experienced statistically higher OS (p = 0.04), but not PFS (p = 0.11). Respective 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS in operable patients were 85.4%, 66.2%, and 51.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

Although patients with operable NSCLC experience higher OS than their inoperable counterparts, disease-related outcomes are similar. These results may better inform shared decision-making between medically operable patients and their multidisciplinary providers.

Final report of survival and late toxicities in the Phase I study of stereotactic body radiation therapy for peripheral T2N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer (JCOG0702)

Purpose

A dose escalation study to determine the recommended dose with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for peripheral T2N0M0 non-small cell carcinomas (JCOG0702) was conducted. The purpose of this paper is to report the survival and the late toxicities of JCOG0702.

Materials and methods

The continual reassessment method was used to determine the dose level that patients should be assigned to and to estimate the maximum tolerated dose. The starting dose was 40 Gy in four fractions at D₉₅ of PTV.

Results

Twenty-eight patients were enrolled. Ten patients were treated with 40 Gy at D₉₅ of PTV, four patients with 45 Gy, eight patients with 50 Gy, one patient with 55 Gy and five patients with 60 Gy. Ten patients were alive at the last follow-up. Overall survival (OS) for all patients was 67.9% (95% CI 47.3–81.8%) at 3 years and 40.8% (95% CI 22.4–58.5%) at 5 years. No Grade 3 or higher toxicity was observed after 181 days from the beginning of the SBRT. Compared to the toxicities up to 180 days, chest wall related toxicities were more frequent after 181 days.

Conclusions

The 5-year OS of 40.8% indicates the possibility that SBRT for peripheral T2N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer is superior to conventional radiotherapy. The effect of the SBRT dose escalation on OS is unclear and further studies are warranted.

Clinical outcomes of image-guided proton therapy for histologically confirmed stage I non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Two prospective phase II trials were designed to assess the efficacy and safety of image-guided proton therapy (IGPT) for either medically inoperable or operable stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study reports the interim results of these trials.

Methods

Fifty-five patients with histologically confirmed stage I NSCLC (IA in 33 patients and IB in 22 patients; inoperable in 21 patients and operable in 34 patients) who received IGPT between July 2013 and February 2017 were analyzed. The median patient age was 71 years (range: 48–88 years). IGPT with fiducial metallic marker matching was performed for suitable patients, and a respiratory gating method for motion management was used for all treatments. Peripherally located tumors were treated with 66 Gy relative biological effectiveness equivalents (Gy(RBE)) in 10 fractions (n = 49) and centrally located tumors were treated with 72.6 Gy(RBE) in 22 fractions (n = 6). Treatment associated toxicities were evaluated using Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (v.4.0).

Results

Median follow-up was 35 months (range: 12–54 months) for survivors. For all patients, the 3-year overall survival, progression-free survival, and local control rates were 87% (95% confidence interval: 73–94%), 74% (58–85%), and 96% (83–99%), respectively. Fiducial marker matching was used in 39 patients (71%). Grade 2 toxicities observed were radiation pneumonitis in 5 patients (9%), rib fracture in 2 (4%), and chest wall pain in 5 (9%). There were no grade 3 or higher acute or late toxicities.

Conclusions

IGPT appears to be effective and well tolerated for all patients with stage I NSCLC.

Trial registration

Lung-001, 13–02-09 (9), registered 11 June 2013 and Lung-002, 13–02-10 (10), registered 11 June 2013.

Efficacy and safety of iodine-125 brachytherapy combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced NSCLC in the elderly

Background

Advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a huge challenge for physicians. Traditional chemoradiotherapy is associated with high rates of toxicities, especially when treating gerontal patients. Our study was focused on investigating the safety and efficacy of permanent iodine-125 seed implantation and chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced NSCLC in the elderly.

Methods

Fifty elderly patients with stage III or IV NSCLC at our hospital from January 2011 to June 2017 were treated with the chemotherapy regimens (paclitaxel/cisplatin) and computed tomography (CT)-guided iodine-125 brachytherapy (group A), 50 patients who received chemotherapy consisting of paclitaxel and cisplatin only (group B) were matched-up with the patients in group A. The local response rate was evaluated by CT. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) data were obtained through clinical follow-up.

Results

The patients were followed-up for 3-46 months. With a median follow-up time of 20 months, the OS and PFS were 20 months (95% CI: 19.09-20.90 months) vs 15 months (95% CI: 14.48-15.51 months) (P<0.05) and 13 months (95% CI: 11.96-14.04 months) vs 8 months (95% CI: 7.63-8.37 months) (P<0.05) in group A and group B, respectively. The symptoms of patients in group A were significantly relieved when compared with group B. Severe complications were not observed in either of the groups.

Conclusion

The combination of iodine-125 seed brachytherapy and chemotherapy is an effective and safe therapy and is superior to chemotherapy alone for advanced NSCLC in the elderly.

Early stage lung cancer survival after wedge resection and stereotactic body radiation

BACKGROUND

The comparative effectiveness of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and wedge resection in the treatment of early stage lung cancer is still under debate. This meta-analysis compares the 5-year overall survival (OS) of wedge resection and SBRT in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

Original research articles published between 1995 and 2017 were identified through the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health PubMed database and through the reference lists of reviewed articles. Data were processed and analyzed in R (version 3.4.2) and a summary estimate that accounted for the sample size of each study was calculated. The combined percent survival was calculated using random effect models. Funnel plots were used to assess publication bias. Heterogeneity was tested using the Q statistic and the I2 statistic.

RESULTS

There were 16 studies totaling 1,984 patients with stage I NSCLC treated with wedge resection. The meta-estimate was 74% (95% CI, 66-81%), with significant heterogeneity across studies (Q =172.46, P<0.0001; I2=91.30%). Thirty-six studies including 3,309 patients with stage I NSCLC treated with SBRT/SABR produced a meta-estimate of 44% (95% CI, 38-50%), with significant heterogeneity (Q =423.55, P<0.0001; I2=91.74%). Two articles directly comparing stage I NSCLC patients treated with wedge resection to patients treated with SBRT both reported higher 5-year OS after wedge resection.

CONCLUSIONS

SBRT is a treatment option reserved to medically inoperable patients, but could be an alternative to surgery in medically operable patients who prefer a less invasive treatment. More standardized methods for data collection and reporting are necessary to allow better comparisons across published studies.