Dr. Ohri on the Role of Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced NSCLC

Nitin Ohri, MD, associate professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, radiation oncologist, Montefiore Medical Center, discusses the role of chemoradiation therapy in locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Historical data, including those from the Intergroup 0139 (RTOG 93-09) trial, have shown that patients with locally advanced NSCLC benefit more from definitive chemoradiotherapy versus combination approaches that include surgical resection, says Ohri.

Now, significant improvements with radiation therapy, diagnostic and staging techniques, supportive care, and adjuvant systemic therapy approaches, such as immunotherapy after chemoradiation, have improved outcomes for patients with locally advanced disease, Ohri explains. Additionally, these advances favor the use of chemoradiation therapy without surgical resection for the majority of patients with locally advanced NSCLC, concludes Ohri.