A new form of radiation therapy was found to be more effective than other forms of radiation therapy on patients with lung cancer.

According to findings from an international clinical trial led by Dr. Stephen Chun, once Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was used on lung cancer patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), patients reported experiencing less severe toxicity and were able to better tolerate their therapy compared to other patients who underwent other radiation therapies.

IMRT is already being used as a safer and more effective alternative to other cancers such as brain and prostate cancer, but Chun's study was the first analysis of a trial that showed reduced radiation therapy related toxicity in patients with locally advanced lung cancer through the use of IMRT.

"Because [IMRT] has been shown to reduce toxicity, it has been accepted to treat prostate, brain, and head and neck cancers," said Chun, who was from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Radiation therapy for cancer usually involves 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) or IMRT.

3D-CRT, which involved using large doses of radiation turned into beams moved to match the tumor's form, has been the standard for radiation therapy for years, but was reportedly distinctly uncomfortable and came with several side effects due to the amount of radiation involved that reach cancerous and healthy tissue alike.

IMRT, on the other hand, is a more modern technique that sculpts radiation beams to the shape of the tumor. Because the high amounts of radiation are immediately focused on the tumor, it avoids contact with healthy tissue that could be what reduce toxicity.

According to findings, there was about 44 percent reduction of patients having severe pneumonitis, or severe lung inflammation, in patients who had IMRT. 37 percent of patients who had IMRT were also found to more likely complete the consolidative chemotherapy compared to 29 percent among the patients who had 3D-CRT.

"The data from our study makes a strong argument that we should routinely consider use of IMRT in locally advanced lung cancer," Chun concluded from his findings.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 220,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015 and more than 150,000 will die from it. Researchers also found that most lung cancers are diagnosed when their cancers are in locally advanced. The standard of care for locally advanced, which is usually treated by radiation and chemotherapy combination.

Chun presented his findings during the American Society for Radiation Oncology's 57th annual meeting held in Texas.

Photo: Liz West | Flickr