Radiotherapy of stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ non-small cell lung cancer / 中国癌症杂志

The standard treatment for early-stage (Ⅰ-Ⅱ) non-small cell lung cancer is surgical resection. Nevertheless, certain patients will be considered medically or functionally inoperable. For these patients, radiotherapy is the alternative treatment. 5 years tumor specific survival rate of 13%~39% have been achieved. Accumulated experience seems to suggest that higher dose, smaller tumors and earlier stage have a favorable prognosis, and the issue of elective nodal radiotherapy continues to be controversial. Toxicity and quality-of-life issues are also evaluated. Stereotactic radiotherapy has been shown to be a promising treatment with high local control rates and very low toxicity.