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Lung cancer

Thoracic radiotherapy improves survival in small-cell lung cancer

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology volume 11, page 623 (2014)Cite this article

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Patients with small-cell lung cancer typically present with extensive-stage disease (ES-SCLC), which has a poor prognosis that has improved little over the past decades. Now, a trial by Ben Slotman et al. indicates that adding thoracic radiotherapy (TRT)—usually reserved for symptom palliation—to standard therapy can improve survival.

In a previous trial of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI), Slotman et al. established that local radiotherapy can improve survival in ES-SCLC, while noting that intrathoracic tumours remain after therapy in 75% of the patients. “The next logical step was to see if TRT in these patients would lead to improved survival and improved intrathoracic control, without too much toxicity,” says Slotman.

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References

  1. Slotman, B. J. et al. Use of thoracic radiotherapy for extensive stage small-cell lung cancer: a phase 3 randomised controlled trial. Lancet 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61085-0

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  1. David Killock
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Killock, D. Thoracic radiotherapy improves survival in small-cell lung cancer. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 11, 623 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2014.165

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