Lung Cancer
Radiation therapy is often spaced over a number of weeks or months so that healthy cells have time to rejuvenate. The number of treatments a patient receives depends on the type and extent of the tumor and how the patient’s tolerance is affected by the treatment.
These images show a person with a lung cancer involving the upper part of the lung. By delivering the radiation from various angles, the dose to critical normal structures like the heart and esophagus can be minimized, while giving a high dose to the tumor.
Lung Cancer - Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is used for the treatment of NSCLC in various ways. In unresectable disease, it is the primary modality for the cure of tumor, and it is often given with chemotherapy. In the postoperative setting, it used as an adjuvant treatment to improve local control. Radiotherapy is also frequently used for the palliation of advanced and metastatic lung cancer. The vast bulk of radiotherapy for NSCLC is delivered via external-beam radiotherapy via a linear accelerator. Newer techniques, such as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) are essentially improved techniques to deliver external-beam radiotherapy. Brachytherapy is the delivery of radiation inside the airways.
For SCLC, chemotherapy, often with radiotherapy, is the most common treatment.
For more information see: CyberKnife Centers of San Diego - Lung Cancer
