New treatment option for some emerging economies with early stage lung cancer

Patients with early stages of their cancer-small cell lung who are not able to undergo an operation, now a very effective method of treatment. Doctors say that a radical option stereotactic radiosurgery with the CyberKnife takes place at 100 percent rate of overall survival after three years in patients with lung function before treatment. These are the results of a study presented today at the annual CHEST meeting in San Diego. The study selected a semifinalist for the Prix Alfred Soffer Research "for original research scientists." Characterized in patients with small tumors very early, surgical removal of affected lobe (lobectomy) is the standard of care. However, surgery is often not an option because other pre-existing diseases such as emphysema or heart disease.

"Our goal was to be a reasonable option for patients who do not or can not tolerate surgery to find," said the lead author of the study, Brian T. Collins, MD, a radiation oncologist at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital. "What we discovered is a promising option that may be relevant to other patients in the first phase as well. More monitoring of these patients is planned, as they see progress five years after treatment. "

Twenty-four patients were treated in the study. Any patient who "forced expiratory volume in 1 second or FEV1was measured.

"We use to FEV1 severity of COPD patients is the class," said Eric D. Anderson, MD, lung specialist at Georgetown University Hospital and the author's presentation of the abstract. "It measures the ability of a patient's breathing hard." COPD indicates chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is commonly known as emphysema.

During a mean follow-up of 36 months, overall survival of patients was 79 percent in five deaths due to progressive lung dysfunction. For patients with FEV1 greater was the survival rate of 100 per cent.

Collins said that the treatment was well tolerated with only mild fatigue reported by the majority of patients was well tolerated.

"What we learn from this study that patients with poor lung function does not work as well," said Collins. Overall survival in this group of patients was only 30 per cent.

"This is important information for physicians and patients in making treatment decisions," says Collins. "When treating a person with poor lung function, it seems appropriate to change the dose of treatment to reduce d other damage to the lungs, causes of stereotactic radiosurgery.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, with over 215,020 people diagnosed each year and 161,804 will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Although there is no screening test for lung cancer, where doctors can find disease earlier in its most curable stage, the beginning of certain tumors, such as are found, the medical tests for other conditions.

"These findings are important because lung cancer is generally caused the result of a long-term smokers, the major health problems such as emphysema. For these patients, surgical lung traditional may be too dangerous because of other health problems. This study shows that the CyberKnife is viable and promising option for patients who are declared not spread to his lung cancer to lymph nodes or other parts of the body and the surgery is too risky ' Collins.