Tumor volume reduction evaluated by cone beam computed tomography during stereotactic body radiotherapy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer accounts for over 142,000 deaths in the United States each year. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 85–90% of all lung cancers (1). To date, the preferred treatment method for early stage NSCLC involves complete surgical resection with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. However, in patients who are poor surgical candidates or refuse surgery, definitive stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is the current standard of care (2). Several studies have demonstrated excellent local control rates (>90% at 2–5 years) after SBRT for early stage NSCLC (3,4)