Radiation Oncology (Feb 2022)

MR-guided radiotherapy in node-positive non-small cell lung cancer and severely limited pulmonary reserve: a report proposing a new clinical pathway for the management of high-risk patients

  • Chukwuka Eze,
  • Elia Lombardo,
  • Lukas Nierer,
  • Yuqing Xiong,
  • Maximilian Niyazi,
  • Claus Belka,
  • Farkhad Manapov,
  • Stefanie Corradini

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13014-022-02011-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Introduction Online MR-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) is a relatively novel advancement in the field of radiation oncology, ensuring superior soft-tissue visualisation, allowing for online plan adaptation to anatomical and functional interfractional changes and improved motion management. Platinum-based chemoradiation followed by durvalumab is the recommended treatment for stage IIB(N1)/III NSCLC. However, this is only the case for patients with favourable risk factors and sufficient pulmonary function and reserve. Methods Herein, we present a technical report on tumour motion and breathing curve analyses of the first patient with node-positive stage IIB NSCLC and severely compromised pulmonary function and reserve [total lung capacity (TLC) 8.78L/132% predicted, residual volume (RV) 6.35L/271% predicted, vital capacity (VC) max 2.43L/58% predicted, FEV1 1.19L/38% predicted, DLCO-SB corrected for hemoglobin 2.76 mmol/min/kPa/30% predicted] treated in a prospective observational study with moderately hypofractionated MRgRT to a total dose of 48.0 Gy/16 daily fractions on the MRIdian system (Viewray Inc, Oakwood, USA). Results Radiotherapy was well tolerated with no relevant toxicity. First follow-up imaging at 3 months post-radiotherapy showed a partial remission. The distinctive features of this case are the patient’s severely compromised pulmonary function and the first online MR-guided accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy treatment for primary node-positive NSCLC. Conclusions This technical report describes the first patient treated in a prospective observational study evaluating the feasibility of this relatively novel technology in stage IIB(N1)/III disease, proposing a clinical pathway for the management of high-risk patients.

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