Comparison of outcomes in patients with stage III versus limited stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Standard therapy for metastatic non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) includes palliative systemic chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Recent studies of patients with limited metastases treated with curative-intent stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) have shown encouraging survival. We hypothesized that patients treated with SBRT for limited metastases have comparable outcomes with those treated with curative-intent radiation for Stage III NSCLC.

Split-course palliative radiotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Palliative chest radiotherapy (RT) for lung malignancies is effective in relieving serious chest symptoms from tumor bleeding or mass effect on major airways, vessels, and nerves. Albeit an important subject, there is a lack of consensus for an optimal palliative RT regimen. We report the outcomes of a split-course palliative chest RT, a frequently used schema at our institution.

Oligometastatic breast cancer treated with curative-intent stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Purpose: Prospective pilot study to assess patient outcome after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for limited metastases from breast cancer.

Methods: Forty patients with < or =5 metastatic lesions received curative-intent SBRT, while 11 patients with >5 lesions, undergoing SBRT to < or =5 metastatic lesions, were treated with palliative-intent.

Results: Among those treated with curative-intent, 4-year actuarial outcomes were: overall survival of 59%, progression-free survival of 38% and lesion local control of 89%.