Dr. Weiner on Radiotherapy Trials in NSCLC

Ashley A. Weiner, MD, PhD, assistant professor, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses clinical trials that have investigated the use of radiotherapy in patients with non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

A lot of clinical trials have looked at the use of radiotherapy in stage III lung cancer. One of the first trials, RTOG 7301, examined the use of 60 Gy conformal radiotherapy. There was the Dilman CLGB trial, which facilitated the use of sequential chemotherapy with a platinum doublet, followed by radiation. In comparison with sequential chemotherapy radiation, the RTOG trial studied the addition of concurrent chemotherapy with radiation.

The next landmark trial was RTOG 0617. An earlier phase II trial was done by RTOG examining the use of 74 Gy. There was no increase in toxicity, and outcomes were better than historical controls. The response could be a result of heart-dose symmetry, but the exact biological role has yet to be determined, says Weiner.