Clinical outcomes of stereotactic body radiation therapy for T2N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and adverse effects of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of T2N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods By retrospectively analyzing the clinical data of 30 inoperable patients with stage T2N0M0 NSCLC treated by SBRT, the overall survival, progression-free survival, cancer-specific survival and adverse effects were determined. Results The median follow-up was 18.4 months. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 92.2%, 92.2% and 80.6%, respectively. The corresponding cause-specific survivals were 95.7%, 95.7% and 83.7%. The progression-free survivals were 70.2%, 54.1% and 40.6%. The local control rates were 100%, 94.4%, and 94.4%. The regional controls were 84.2%, 72.1%, and 54.1%; and distant controls were 84.6%, 72.4% and 64.3%, respectively. Twenty patients (66.7%) developed symptoms of grade 1 radiation-related toxicities: dyspnea, chest pain, fatigue, cough, esophagitis, or pneumonia. Among these, 5 patients suffered grade ≥2 radiation pneumonitis, and one patient experienced grade 4 radiation pneumonitis. Conclusions SBRT was efficient and safe for patients with inoperable T2N0M0 NSCLC, imposing tolerable toxicities. Key words: Stereotactic body radiation therapy; Non-small cell lung cancer; Overall survival; Progression-free survival; Cause-specific survival