What can radiation therapy do for stage 3b lung cancer?

A lot: The updated long term results of rtog 9410 were published in 2011 in the journal of the national cancer institute. This study examined different regimens of radiation and chemotherapy in patients with stage iii lung cancer. They found that patients lived longer if they received chemotherapy and radiation at the same time as opposed to sequentially.

A lot: This stage is not resectable. If a patient has a good performance status chemo and radiation is use in hopes of curing the disease. Even if the cancer is not cured and progresses the idea is to slow it down. The patient may also have pain, bleeding or cough and these symptoms will improve because of treatment.

Goal is cure.: If complete staging (pet and MRI brain) show no metastases, then treatment depends on why iiib - either b/c tumor is T4 or nodes are n3. If no nodes, and t4, may consider lower dose chemort followed by surgery. If n3, then full dose chemort alone. Unfortunately while goal is cure, only achieved in 20%. Get evaluated at an academic center for clinical trials, as many improvements being made!

It can shrink: The tumor. But is inferior to chemoradiotherapy. Surgery in iii-b does have anecdotes from selected case, but the treatment is chemoradiotherapy with intent to cure. Cure may be as high as 30%. Best wishes.