Stereotactic Radiotherapy Stops Lung Cancer From Growing in Frail Patients

CHICAGO, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Stereotactic body radiation therapy
(SBRT) stopped the growth of cancer at its original site in the lung for three
years among nearly 98 percent of patients with early non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC) who are unable to have the cancer surgically removed, according
to an updated three-year study presented November 2, 2009, at the 51st Annual
Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

The study also shows that more than half (56 percent) of these patients lived
for three years after diagnosis, while 48 percent survived for three years
after cancer treatment with no sign of the disease returning. Researchers also
found that despite the high potency of treatment, less than 20 percent of
these extremely frail patients experienced a serious decline in their health
status. This finding was better than researchers expected and is similar to
the risks for healthier patients to undergo radical surgery.

"The results of the RTOG 0236 study confirms that SBRT should now be
considered a standard treatment in early-stage lung cancer patients with
co-existing serious medical problems, such as emphysema, heart disease and
stroke," Robert D. Timmerman, M.D., lead author of the Radiation Therapy
Oncology Group (RTOG) study and a radiation oncologist at the University of
Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas said. "It also begs the question
of whether SBRT should be considered in healthier patients with lung cancer
who are treated with surgery."

Stereotactic body radiation therapy is a specialized type of external beam
radiation therapy that pinpoints high doses of radiation directly on the
cancer in a shorter amount of time than traditional treatments. Cancer centers
often call the treatments by the brand names of the manufacturers, including
Axesse, CyberKnife, Gamma Knife, Novalis, Primatom, Synergy, X-Knife,
TomoTherapy and Trilogy. Treatment in the study was delivered in 1½ to 2
weeks, instead of a typical period of 6 to 8 weeks.

For the past century, the standard treatment for early-stage NSCLC has been
radical surgery that has involved removing a lobe or even the entire lung on
the affected side. This surgery can be difficult for many patients as other
medical conditions can hinder their recovery. The phase II trial took place
from May 2004 to October 2006 and involved 55 patients at eight RTOG
institutions in the U.S. and Canada. They received SBRT with a dose of 54 Gy
in three fractions. The medium follow-up after treatment was 34 months.

The study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and
Advanced Technology Consortium.

For more information on radiation therapy for lung cancer and stereotactic
radiation therapy, visit www.rtanswers.org.

The abstract, "Analysis of RTOG 0236: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for
Medically Inoperable Early-stage Lung Cancer Patients," was presented at a
scientific session at 11:10 a.m. on Monday, November 2, 2009. To speak to the
lead author of the study, Robert D. Timmerman, M.D., please call Beth Bukata
or Nicole Napoli November 1-4, 2009, in the ASTRO Press Room at McCormick
Place West at 312-791-7005 or 312-791-7006. You may also e-mail them at
bethb@astro.org or nicolen@astro.org.

SOURCE American Society for Radiation Oncology

Beth Bukata, bethb@astro.org, or Nicole Napoli, nicolen@astro.org,
+1-800-962-7876, Press Room Phone - Nov. 1-4, +1-312-791-7005,
+1-312-791-7006, After Hours, +1-703-474-0940, both of ASTRO