A member asked:

When is it normal to have surgery for lung cancer followed y radiation but no chemo?

5 doctors weighed in across 4 answers
Dr. Reza Shirazi answered

Specializes in Radiation Oncology

Positive margins: Positive surgical margins, meaning some disease is left behind. Radiation can be used to sterilize the field. Sometimes radiation is given to treat the regional lymph nodes as well.

Answered 8/26/2011

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Positive margin: If a patient had early stage cancer that surgery would be the definitive treatment, but after pathology comes back showing a positive margin then radiation would be used without chemotherapy. However more adverse findings such as nodes would mean chemotherapy is necessary.

Answered 6/24/2015

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S+RT but no C: Not at all common. The case i can imagine is a person unable to tolerate the chemotherapy. The most common clear indicaton for radiotherapy in lung cancer is after chemotherapy if med. Nodes +. Positive bronchial margins or chest wall invasion are other plausible scenarios.

Answered 7/5/2012

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Lung cancer and xrt: I usually see this when there is a question of close or questionable surgical margins. That means the surgeon thinks he got all of the tumor but isn't quite positive.

Answered 9/19/2013

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