Radiation Therapy — New Approaches

Abstract

Lung cancer is no longer considered to represent one single disease process. It is composed of several diseases conditioned by histopathologic forms which determine behavior, treatment and prognosis [1]. Although most oncologists accept four main pathologic forms of lung cancer (small cell, epidermoid, large cell and adenocarcinoma), therapeutic goals have allowed for a simpler general classification of lung cancer into: Small Cell Bronchogenic Carcinoma (SCBC) and Non-Small Cell Bronchogenic Carcinoma (NSCBC) with a subsequent stratification by the four main histologic forms. In addition to the clinical and surgical staging systems available for lung cancer [2], many oncologists also prefer to subclassify in broader terms by disease extent, since this also carries therapeutic implications. Consequently, SCBC and NSCBC are commonly described as: Limited disease (LD), when the tumor seems to be confined to the involved lung and draining nodal areas in the hilum, mediastinum and ipsilateral supraclavicular fossa; and extensive disease (ED), when the tumor has disseminated elsewhere.KeywordsLung Cancer PatientFast NeutronHyperbaric OxygenRadiation Therapy Oncology GroupLinear Energy TransferThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.