Dr. Mirhadi on Novel Radiation Technologies in NSCLC

Amin J. Mirhadi, MD, associate professor of radiation oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, discusses novel radiation approaches that are being used in non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

One of the concepts is image-guided radiotherapy, says Mirhadi. At the time that a patient is receiving treatment with radiation therapy, they also undergo a MiniCAT scan, which offers insight into where the tumor is located at a given moment. However, this is sometimes not sufficient, because the tumor might move from the direction of the radiation while the patient is breathing, explains Mirhadi.

Motion management and respiratory gating allows for a precise delivery of the radiation at an exact point in the respiratory cycle, adds Mirhadi. For example, if patients take a deep breath in and hold it for a few seconds, the radiation will only be delivered at that phase of the respiratory cycle, explains Mirhadi.

Another technology is four-dimensional CT scans, which is a special type of CT scan that shows the tumor in all phases of the respiratory cycle. This technology pinpoints the exact location of the tumor during deep inspiration and expiration, which can be used to inform a treatment plan that targets the tumor during all phases of the respiratory cycle, concludes Mirhadi.