A recent study has been conducted by the researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre and the results of which were published in JAMA Oncology. According to this study, standard use of more accurate intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is recommended over the alternative 3D-conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) among patients with locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer. The study works on how intensity-modulated radiation therapy can help patients with NSCLC.
In this research, they showed that IMRT had comparable survival rates and had fewer adverse effects. The lead author Stephen Chun, M.D., associate professor of Radiation Oncology, said, “This study should bring finality to what has been a long-standing debate over optimal radiation technique for locally advanced NSCLC.” “3D-CRT is a rudimentary technique that’s been around for over 50 years. Our findings show it’s time to routinely adopt IMRT over 3D-CRT for lung cancer, just like we did for prostate, anal and brain tumors decades ago,” he added.
A prospective secondary analysis of long-term outcomes from 483 patients on the Phase III NRG Oncology-RTOG 0617 randomized trial showed that those treated with 3D-CRT were more likely to experience severe pneumonitis – inflammation of the lungs in comparison to the patients treated with IMRT with rated of 8.2% and 3.5% respectively.
With this study, it should bring finality to what has been a long standing debate for the optimal radiation technique for locally advanced NSCLC. The improved precision of IMRT translates into real benefits for patients with locally advanced lung cancer. Their findings also highlight the importance of using IMRT to minimize cardiac exposure of doses from 20 to 60 Gy.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only.
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