Radiotherapy for lung cancer: Consensus statements published

RCR recommendations

Published: 07 July 2020 Radiotherapy

The Royal College of Radiologists has published recommendations for the use of radiotherapy in treating lung cancer.

Supported by the SoR, the areas covered by the consensus statements include:

  • Optimising patients for radical radiotherapy for lung cancer 
  • Technical aspects of radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
  • Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
  • Combined-modality treatment of locally advanced NSCLC
  • Radiotherapy for advanced lung cancer
  • Treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC)

“Survival outcomes from lung cancer in the United Kingdom are poor and among the worst In Europe,” the document says.

“If all the recommendations are adopted in each centre, then outcomes for UK lung cancer patients will undoubtedly improve.”

The statements should be adopted in parallel with those in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) lung cancer guidance.

The RCR consensus process was initially developed in 2016 to help reduce variation in UK radiotherapy practice in postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer. The lung cancer statements are the next in a planned series of annual RCR projects focussing on different tumour types.

Radiotherapy for lung cancer: RCR consensus statements