Focused Radiation May Help Some With Lung Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Three-year survival was 100 percent for people with early-stage lung cancer and good lung function who were treated with radical stereotactic radiosurgery using CyberKnife, according to a new study funded by the product's maker.
Standard care for people with small lung tumors calls for surgical removal of the affected lobe, but some people cannot have surgery because of other medical conditions, such as heart disease or emphysema.
"Our goal has been to find a reasonable option for patients who don't want or can't tolerate surgery," the study's lead author, Dr. Brian T. Collins, a radiation oncologist at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital, said in a news release from the university. "What we discovered is a very promising option that may be relevant for other stage 1 patients as well. More follow-up with these patients is planned to see how they progress five years after treatment."
Stereotactic radiosurgery, despite its name, is not surgery but rather a type of radiation therapy that focuses high-powered X-rays on abnormal tissue only, sparing nearby healthy tissue.
The study included 24 people with early-stage lung cancer.
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