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Obesity predicted adverse effects of stereotactic body radiation in patients with lung cancer
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51st ASTRO Annual Meeting
Obesity was the greatest predictor of whether patients with early-stage lung cancer would develop chest wall pain after treatment with stereotactic body radiation therapy, a specialized type of external beam radiation therapy. Obese patients were more than twice as likely to develop chronic pain compared to those with less body weight.
At the 51st ASTRO Annual Meeting, James Welsh, MD, assistant professor, department of radiation oncology, at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, presented findings from a study conducted to determine the highest amount of stereotactic body radiation therapy that could be delivered to the chest without patients developing late adverse effects including skin reactions and pain.
“Stereotactic body radiation therapy is now being investigated as a replacement to surgery for early-stage lung cancer; if this noninvasive technique is to replace surgery, not only does it need to be effective, but also safe,” Welsh said in a press release.
Researchers screened a database to identified 256 patients with tumors of the chest wall less than 2.5 cm that had been treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy between August 2004 and August 2008. Patients who received a high radiation dose to cancer close to the chest wall (35 Gy) had an elevated risk for skin reaction and pain compared with those who received a lower dose.
Overall, 39% of patients developed skin toxicity, 6% developed acute pain and 22% developed chronic pain. Diabetes was a significant factor in the development of chest pain among obese patients, according to Welsh.
“Since this study shows that a 35Gy dose of radiation, obesity and diabetes increase the risk for developing late negative side effects after high-dose radiation, then we can take steps to reduce these side effects,” Welsh said. – by Christen Haigh
For more information:
- Welsh J. #128. Presented at: 51st ASTRO Annual Meeting; Nov. 1-5, 2009, Chicago.
