Moderne definitive Radiochemotherapie – State of the Art-Umsetzung und neue Konsolidierungsstrategien

Abstract

BackgroundIn locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy and consolidation with durvalumab leads to a significant increase in overall survival and represents the most profound innovation of the last decade.ObjectivesAnalysis of new possibilities for the state-of-the-art implementation of definitive radiochemotherapy concepts.Materials and methodsEvaluation of prospective and randomised studies regarding improvements in treatment outcomes.ResultsOverall survival benefit of consolidating checkpoint inhibitor therapy after combined radiochemotherapy with durvalumab is 43% (95% confidence interval 38–47%) versus 33% (27–40%) in the placebo group in an updated analysis of the PACIFIC trial for 5‑year survival; stratified hazard ratio for death is 0.72 (95% CI 0.59–0.89, p = 0.0025). In the dose escalation studies, increased pulmonary and oesophageal side effects were observed, so no immediate clinical benefit could be derived from the increase in local efficacy. Improved imaging before and during therapy and optimised possibilities of dose application, especially by using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), allow selective sparing of healthy structures, which increases the ability to safely intensify radiotherapy also in connection with new immunomodulatory substance combinations.ConclusionThe integration of immunotherapy, the stringent use of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in staging and radiation planning, the widespread use of highly conformal radiation techniques (IMRT; volumetric modulated arc therapy, VMAT) and the consistent application of image-guided radiotherapy have led to significant improvements in treatment outcomes.