KLINIKK
Radical Non-surgical Treatment of Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer FROM THE DISCOVERY OF X RAYS 1951 “roentgen therapy has a definite TO THE THERAPEUTIC USE OF place in the amelioration of symptoms RADIATION IN LUNG CANCER and occasionally unexpected results ithin a year after Wilhelm occur”. Nevertheless, even half a Conrad Röntgen’s 1895 century later, many physicians were still publication on X-rays, Emil of the opinion that surgery was the only Grubbe reported on using these rays potentially curative treatment available for a recurrent breast tumor. Only five for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) years later, in 1901, Francis Williams patients. In his 2001 systematic review, was the first to show the curative Rowell concluded no more than that potential of radiation in cancer “radical radiotherapy appears to result treatment when he reported on a in a better survival than might be patient whose lip cancer disappeared expected had treatment not been given”. by the treatment. The early Röntgen By this time, the published 5-year machines, however, could not generate survival figures of NSCLC patients high enough photon energy levels with locoregionally advanced disease to penetrate deeper into the body. (stage III, table 1), were a disappointing Therefore, treatment attempts on 5 – 15 %. tumors located deep in the body were not successful. By the late forties, the ADVANCEMENTS IN machine technology had developed so DIAGNOSTICS, TREATMENT much that photons with megavoltage EQUIPMENT AND COMBINED energy levels could be produced and MODALITY T REATMENT in 1947, the first publications on In the past two decades, enormous radiotherapy in lung cancer emerged. progress has been made. First, the In his concluding remarks on several diagnostic work-up has become much lung cancer cases, Jackson wrote in more accurate. With the introduction
W RENÉ VAN HELVOIRT Senior Consultant Oncology Senter for kreftbehandling / Center for cancer treatment, Sørlandet sykehus, Kristiansand
Table 1: 8th Edition of the TNM Classification for Lung Cancer
ONKONYTT • NR 1 // 2020
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