Dr. Stephans on Treatment for Oligometastatic Lung Cancer

Kevin Stephans, MD, associate staff, Radiation Oncology at Cleveland Clinic, discusses advancements in the treatment of patients with oligometastatic lung cancer.

Many patients who have metastatic disease will present with metastases all over the body—though a small percentage will present with more isolated disease, Stephans explains. The majority of most available therapies, such as systemic chemotherapy or immune chemotherapy, will address disease anywhere. However, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has the ability to address only localized disease.

The advantage of SBRT is that there are few associated toxicities because the treatment is localized, and the disadvantage is that it is only going to address disease at that site. Regarding patient selection, younger patients with fewer sites are more likely to have a long, durable response to chemotherapy.