The role of radiation therapy in thoracic tumors
Tuesday, May 30th, 2006.
Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America. 2006 Apr;20(2):363-400. [Link]
Kong FM, Zhao L, Hayman JA.
Department of Radiation Therapy, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; VA Ann Arbor Health Care Systems, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
Abstract
Although surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for thoracic tumors, radiation therapy plays an important role in their management. Radiation therapy is the definitive local treatment for patients who have surgically resectable but medically inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is an important part of the multimodality regimen for unresectable NSCLC, limited-stage small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, invasive thymoma, and mesothelioma. This article briefly reviews indications, evidence, and new advances in radiation therapy for the treatment of these thoracic tumors.
Glossary
- therapy
- any of the measures taken to treat a disease. Unproven therapy is any therapy that has not been scientifically tested and approved. Use of an unproven therapy instead of standard (proven) therapy is called alternative therapy. Some alternative therapies have dangerous or even life-threatening side effects. For others, the main danger is that a patient may lose the opportunity to benefit from standard therapy. Complementary therapy, on the other hand, refers to therapies used in addition to standard therapy. Some complementary therapies may help relieve certain symptoms of cancer, relieve side effects of standard cancer therapy, or improve a patient's sense of well-being. The ACS recommends that patients considering use of any alternative or complementary therapy discuss this with their health care team.
- resection
- surgery to remove part or all of an organ or other structure.
- regimen
- (rej-uh-men) a strict, regulated plan (such as diet, exercise, or other activity) designed to reach certain goals. In cancer treatment, a plan to treat cancer.
- radiation therapy
- treatment with radiation to destroy cancer cells. This type of treatment may be used to reduce the size of a cancer before surgery, to destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery, or, in some cases, as the main treatment.
- oncology
- (on-call-o-jee) the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- cell
- the basic unit of which all living things are made. Cells replace themselves by splitting and forming new cells (mitosis). The processes that control the formation of new cells and the death of old cells are disrupted in cancer.
- cancer
- malignancy; a group of diseases typified by abnormal, generally out-of-control, cell growth.
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
