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Radiation Therapy for Inoperable Lung Cancer

According to the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), lung cancer patients who have tumors that have spread (metastasized to other areas of the body) are often treated with radiation therapy to attack the cancer and to relieve symptoms. When used as a primary treatment, when surgery is not possible, radiotherapy may be given alone in combination with chemotherapy.

  1. Radiation

    • When lung cancer is inoperable, the goal of radiation treatment is to destroy as many cancer cells as possible without damaging nearby healthy tissues or provoking a dangerous reaction.

      Radiation therapy is also used to treat lung cancer that has spread to the brain or other areas of the body.

      The RSNA says radiation treatment is usually administered in a number of sessions over six weeks. Conventional radiation treatment aims a beam of X-rays directly at the tumor.

    Stereotactic Body Radio Therapy

    • The RSNA says a fairly new technique called stereotactic body radio therapy (SBRT) delivers very high doses of radiation therapy to lung cancer patients when surgery is not possible.

      SBRT involves the emission of numerous, highly focused and potent radiation beams that chase the lung tumor and its respiratory movement. Three to five treatments are standard.

    External Beam and Brachytherapy

    • External-beam radiation therapy is commonly used to treat lung cancer and other cancers that have spread. It sends a beam of radiation directly on the tumor.

      Brachytherapy uses slender tubes to insert radioactive seeds into the exact location of the malignancy. This therapy may be effective when lung cancer has spread to the throat resulting in obstruction. In high doses it may be beneficial for patients with inoperable tumors in the central area of the lung.

    Metastasized Lung Cancer

    • The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) says radiation therapy is the main treatment when lung cancer has metastasized to the brain (unless the cancer is small enough to be treated surgically).

      The UMMC says clinical trials are looking into the use of radiation to the head as a means of preventing the spread of lung cancer to the brain.

    Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

    • In some cases of non-small-cell lung cancer, it's impossible to surgically remove the entire tumor. In addition to regular chemotherapy treatments, patients may be given small doses of radiation therapy (sometimes several treatments per day) for a number of weeks.

    Palliative Treatment

    • When a cure for lung cancer is not an option, radiation therapy may be used as palliative treatment (reducing symptoms without elimination the cancer). These symptoms may include shortness of breath. Palliative radiation therapy is frequently given in combination with chemotherapy treatments.

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