When is stereotactic body radiotherapy recommended for non-small cell lung cancer?

This treatment delivers carefully planned radiation to a lung tumour while limiting exposure to nearby normal tissue. A cancer team considers the tumour's size, position, shape and movement with breathing, along with scans showing whether it has spread. It is often discussed when surgery is not suitable because of other health problems, reduced lung function, or the tumour's location. It may also be considered after a multidisciplinary review when surgery is possible but another local treatment fits the person's circumstances.

Planning can include CT imaging, breathing assessment and a mould or positioning system to help reproduce the same treatment position. Treatment may be delivered over a small number of visits rather than a long course, but the schedule depends on the tumour and nearby organs.

Ask the treating team whether the scans show a localised tumour and whether its distance from the airways, oesophagus, heart and spinal cord makes focused radiation appropriate. Bring a list of medicines, previous chest treatments and lung conditions. The team may compare stereotactic body radiotherapy with surgery, conventional radiotherapy, ablation or observation. Follow preparation instructions about food, medicines and positioning, and attend follow-up imaging so the response and any lung changes can be assessed.

Contact the oncology team promptly for new or worsening breathlessness, chest pain, fever, persistent cough, coughing blood, or marked weakness after treatment. Seek emergency help for severe difficulty breathing, blue lips, confusion, or coughing that does not stop. These symptoms can have several causes, so urgent assessment is needed rather than assuming they represent treatment effects.

Is my cancer confined to a region that can be treated accurately? How do breathing movement and the tumour's position affect planning? What are the meaningful differences between surgery and stereotactic body radiotherapy for me? Which side effects should I report immediately, and what follow-up scans are planned?