The following is a summary of “Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Oligoprogressive and Oligorecurrent Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer,” published in the November 2023 issue of Pulmonology by Ebadi, et al.

Some people have different ideas about how stereotactic body radiation treatment (SBRT) can help people with oligoprogressive non–non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For a study, researchers sought to look at whether SBRT gives a long-lasting reaction in some patients with oligo progressive or oligo recurrent NSCLC so they don’t need to change their systemic treatment. They looked back at 168 NSCLC patients who had SBRT for cancer that was not getting worse or coming back. Oligoprogression was described as a growth in five or more tumors during or after systemic treatment after the first full or partial response. Oligorecurrence meant that the cancer got worse while the person was not on systemic treatment. 

They guessed the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and time to the next treatment or death (TNT-D). The middle age was 68 years. As the disease got worse, 67% of patients were still on systemic treatment. In 31% of the cases, there was progression at the main site. In 76% of the cases, the number of places where the cancer had spread was 0 to 2, and in 24%, it was 3 to 5. OS at two years was 56% (95% CI 46%–64%), and PFS was 14% (95% CI 8%–21%). 

Nine months (95% CI: 6 to 11) was the median TNT-D. No grade 4 or 5 poisoning was seen. In an adjusted study, patients with 3 to 5 sites of metastatic progression had a shorter TNT-D (HR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1-2.5, P =.01) and a worse OS (HR 2.6, 95%CI 1.5-4.3, P <.001). Patients with 0 to 2 sites of metastatic progression had a longer TNT-D.SBRT is a safe and effective way to treat NSCLC that isn’t spreading or coming back. Patients with 0 to 2 sites had a longer TNT-D and a better OS than those with 3 to 5 sites.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1525730423001808