Summary of Key Points Radiation-induced brachial plexopathy (RIBP) occurs with treatment of apical tumors and is frequently complicated by tumor-related brachial plexopathy (TRBP). Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) of apical tumors, which employs a higher dose per fraction, can cause RIBP…
Summary of Key Points The acute and late toxicity of radiotherapy (RT) for lung cancer usually involves the lungs, esophagus, and heart. Lung Post-RT, there are multiple biochemical and molecular events involving type II pneumocytes, surfactant protein transudation into alveolar…
Summary of Key Points Palliative radiotherapy is an effective and well tolerated treatment for palliation of thoracic and other symptoms in patients with lung cancer (both nonsmall cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer). There is ample high-quality evidence…
Summary of Key Points In patients with clinically nonmetastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC), positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) as well as brain imaging is suggested to classify tumor stage. To classify stage, it is recommended to use the Veterans…
Summary of Key Points Concerning radiotherapy, higher physical or biologic dose (altered fractionation) is associated with better local control and, in some trials, with better survival. Current evidence favors a schedule of 60 Gy to 66 Gy in 6 weeks…
Summary of Key Points Since the initial identification of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as the prototypical thermal ablation technique, it has been joined by microwave ablation, cryoablation, and, more recently, irreversible electroporation as potential options for tumor ablation. Factors that influence…
Summary of Key Points Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is recommended in treatment guidelines as the nonoperative therapy of choice for early-stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SABR can be adequately performed using either traditional linear accelerators equipped with suitable image-guidance…
Summary of Key Points Patient selection is crucial to ensure treatment selection and optimal outcome. The performance status, described by, for example, the Karnofsky or the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, is the most important prognostic parameter. The benefit…
Summary of Key Points The hallmarks of radiobiology are the “4 Rs”: r epair, r eassortment, r eoxygenation, r epopulation. Radiation exerts its biologic effects by causing damage to DNA. The linear–quadratic model provides a convenient method to compare different…
Summary of Key Points Radiotherapy plays a central role in the treatment of lung cancer for patients in both the palliative and curative settings. Major advances in the technologic aspects of both radiotherapy and medical imaging have dramatically increased the…