Dr Singh on Unmet Medical Needs in Lung Cancer Treatment

Raj Singh, MD, assistant professor, radiation oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—James, discusses unmet medical needs in the treatment of patients with lung cancer and the growing role of radiation therapy in the management of this disease.

Addressing unmet needs in cancer care remains paramount, particularly concerning the accessibility and burden of treatment for patients, Singh begins. Even a relatively short treatment course consisting of 5 or fewer treatment sessions can prove daunting, especially in areas lacking the necessary infrastructure, Singh emphasizes. Despite providing care within a large academic center, Singh says he often witnesses the challenges patients face when confronted with the prospect of extended treatment durations. Although the efficacy and safety of these treatment regimens are well established, the primary barrier to care may lie in the logistical constraints of accessing specialized centers capable of providing these services, he reports.

Access to care is a multifaceted issue, influenced by geographical proximity as well as socioeconomic factors, Singh expresses. Patients with lung cancer, for instance, often belong to lower socioeconomic strata, owing to their significant smoking histories or broader struggles with social circumstances, Singh says. Consequently, the use of advanced treatment modalities becomes contingent upon addressing these systemic barriers, he adds. Ideally, the proliferation of such treatment techniques within local communities would alleviate the burden on patients, facilitating access to care closer to home, Singh explains.

In the realm of thoracic malignancies, stereotactic radiation therapy assumes an increasingly prominent role, offering a viable treatment option with minimal toxicity, he continues. This expanded utility broadens the scope of available treatments and holds promise for patients with oligometastatic disease, Singh elucidates. By targeting metastases confined to the lungs, oncologists aim to optimize patient outcomes and simultaneously circumvent the deleterious effects of extensive surgical interventions, thereby preserving the timeliness of systemic therapy—a critical determinant of long-term prognosis, he concludes.