Once-Weekly, High-Dose Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer: 6-Year Analysis of 60 Early-Stage, 42 Locally Advanced, and 7 Metastatic Lung Cancers

Purpose To explore once-weekly stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in nonoperable patients with localized, locally advanced, or metastatic lung cancer. Methods and Materials A total of 102 primary (89 untreated plus 13 recurrent) and 7 metastatic tumors were studied. The median follow-up was 38 months, the average patient age was 75 years. Of the 109 tumors studied, 60 were Stage I (45 IA and 15 IB), 9 were Stage II, 30 were Stage III, 3 were Stage IV, and 7 were metastases. SBRT only was given in 73% (40 Gy in four fractions to the planning target volume to a total dose of 53 Gy to the isocenter for a biologically effective dose of 120 Gy 10 ). SBRT was given as a boost in 27% (22.5 Gy in three fractions once weekly for a dose of 32 Gy at the isocenter) after 45 Gy in 25 fractions to the primary plus the mediastinum. The total biologically effective dose was 120 Gy 10 . Respiration gating was used in 46%. Results The overall response rate was 75%; 33% had a complete response. The overall response rate was 89% for Stage IA patients (40% had a complete response). The local control rate was 82%; it was 100% and 93% for Stage IA and IB patients, respectively. The failure rate was 37%, with 17% within the planning target volume. No Grade 3-4 acute toxicities developed in any patient; 12% and 7% of patients developed Grade 1 and 2 toxicities, respectively. Late toxicity, all Grade 2, developed in 3% of patients. The 5-year cause-specific survival rate for Stage I was 70% and was 74% and 64% for Stage IA and IB patients, respectively. The 3-year Stage III cause-specific survival rate was 30%. The patients with metastatic lung cancer had a 57% response rate, a 27% complete response rate, an 86% local control rate, a median survival time of 19 months, and 23% 3-year survival rate. Conclusions SBRT is noninvasive, convenient, fast, and economically attractive; it achieves results similar to surgery for early or metastatic lung cancer patients who are older, debilitated, and with comorbidities. Elderly patients and/or patients medically unfit for combined modality therapy with locally advanced disease can find an effective palliative alternative in SBRT.