Palliative Radiation Therapy (RT) Practice In Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients

Abstract

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that single fraction RT is sufficient for palliation of uncomplicated bone metastases. For palliative thoracic RT, meta-analysis of RCTs suggests that moderately higher doses (>30 Gy) may benefit select patients, though substantially higher doses are not well-supported. Surveys suggest that providers may use higher doses and smaller fractions than supported by RCTs, though there are limited data on actual clinical practice. We investigated population-based patterns in use of bone and thoracic RT among metastatic NSCLC patients.