Stereotactic Single-Dose Radiotherapy Option For Early LC

[Christine]

NEW YORK AUG 28, 2007 (Reuters Health) - Clinicians from Germany have found stereotactic single-dose radiotherapy to be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) not amenable to surgery.

"Especially for small tumor volumes, it seems to be equally effective as hypofractionated radiotherapy, while minimizing the overall treatment time," write Dr. Holger Hof of University of Heidelberg and colleagues in the July 1 issue of the journal Cancer. "To what extent this also applies to bigger volumes is unclear."

In the paper, they report on 42 patients with NSCLC treated with stereotactic radiotherapy. The single doses ranged from 19 to 30 Gy. Median follow-up was 15 months (range 1.5 to 72 months).

Actuarial overall survival rates were 74.5%, 65.4%, and 37.4% at 12, 24, and 36 months after treatment, respectively. Disease-free survival rates were 70.2%, 49.1%, and 49.1%, respectively, and local tumor control rates were 89.5%, 67.9%, and 67.9%.

Local tumor control was significantly better in patients receiving 26-30 Gy compared with patients receiving lower doses.

"Despite the high single doses, no severe toxicities occurred, indicating that there is room for further dose escalation," Dr. Hof and colleagues note in the report. However, longer follow up on possible late toxicities in patients receiving very high doses up to 30 Gy is needed, they say.