Safety and Effectiveness of Cyberknife-Based Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Older Patients with Biopsy Proven Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Community Cancer Center Experience from the International Geriatric Radiotherapy Group

The aim of this article is to assess the safety and efficacy of cyberknife-based Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) among older patients (at least 70 years-old) whose medical conditions preclude surgery for their early stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). A retrospective review of older patients with a median age of 82 (range: 70 to 88 year-old) who had cyberknife-based SBRT for early stage biopsy proven NSCLC in a community hospital was performed. Morbidity, complications, and local control were assessed. Among 33 older patients who had SBRT for early stage NSCLC, no patient developed grade 3 to 4 complications at a median follow-up of 19 months (range: 5 to 32 months). Only two patients (6%) developed local recurrences. Cyberknife-based SBRT is safe and effective for local control in older patients with early stage biopsy proven NSCLC whose medical conditions preclude surgery.