A current review of dose-escalated radiotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

The mainstay therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer is concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Loco-regional recurrence constitutes the predominant failure patterns. Previous studies confirmed the relationship between increased biological equivalent doses and improved overall survival. However, the large randomized phase III study, RTOG 0617, failed to demonstrate the benefit of dose-escalation to 74 Gy compared with 60 Gy by simply increasing fraction numbers.

Keywords

• non-small cell lung cancer
• dose escalation
• hyperfractionation
• hypofractionation
• adaptive radiotherapy
• proton radiotherapy
• carbon ion radiotherapy