Role of Adjuvant Radiation (External Beam/Brachytherapy) for Stage I NSCLC

The role of adjuvant radiation following surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is reviewed in this article. There seems to be no role for adjuvant radiation in stage I NSCLC patients treated by lobectomy. Adjuvant brachytherapy in combination with sublobar resection is a promising approach that seems to decrease local recurrence rates similar to that reported following lobectomy. Radiofrequency ablation is an alternative for the high-risk patient with NSCLC who is considered too high risk even for sublobar resection. In particular, adjuvant stereotactic radiation should be investigated as a potential method of decreasing local recurrence and preserving lung function in these high-risk patients.