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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Clin Chest Med. 2011 Oct 7;32(4):827–838. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2011.08.009

Table 2.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Radiotherapy for early stage lung cancer

Radiotherapy Advantages Disadvantages
1) Conventional Radiation Therapy

  • Widely available

  • High relapse rate

  • Low 5 year survival

  • Requires 4–7 weeks for compleetion
2) Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

  • Completed within a few treatments

  • Good local control at 3 years

  • Can perform in patient with comorbid conditions

  • Can perform in patients who decline surgery

  • Can perform in tumors up to 5 cm in size

  • Limited data available on relapse rates after 3–5 yrs

  • Limited availability

  • Cannot perform in centrally located tumors
3) Radiofrequency Ablation

  • Completed in one session

  • Good local control at 2 years

  • Can perform in patients with comorbid conditions

  • Can perform in patients who decline surgery

  • Limited data available on relapse rates after 3–5 yrs

  • Limited availability

  • Best for tumors <3cm in size

  • Cannot perform in centrally located tumors

  • High rate of pneumothorax