Medically inoperable stage I non-small cell lung cancer: best practices and long-term outcomes

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. and worldwide (1,2). According to projected estimates for 2018, more than 234,000 Americans will receive a new diagnosis of lung cancer, and over 154,000 will succumb to their disease (3). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents the majority of new lung cancer diagnoses, accounting for over 85% of cases, with about 16% of these patients presenting with early stage disease, as defined by disease limited to the chest and with primary tumor size of less than 5 cm (4)