SBRT for lung cancer: What's your experience?

@armycolonel - Good morning, Colonel. I'm sorry that I missed your post yesterday. My husband was in the army, also.

I'm sorry for your diagnosis I know the feeling very well told that you have lung cancer. It's like a shot through the heart. I am a 26 (next month) year survivor of lung cancer and have had SBRT three times. Sometimes SBRT is suggested for small, easy-to-access -tumors.

I imagine that you have CT and PET scans. What kind of cancer do you have?

Merry

Good Morning,

Thank you for your wonderful response! Yes, a shot on heart for sure. First, issue with any health issue a runner for 40 years and still moving! I’m early on with Adenocarcinoma right lung. Scheduled for 3 treatments.
I trust you are well and of course Blessed going in to your 26th year.
This support group is absolutely wonderful and I’m Thankful to have found the group!!

I have had SBRT twice and appreciate your post. My next scan is in Oct. so if I need the treatment again your comments will help me make a decision to go for a third round. Thank you!

Do you have multi-focal adenocarcinoma?

I do not know what “multi-focal”is. I have had groundglass nodules in my lungs for many years. I did have covid in dec’21 although I don’t believe this caused the changes which occurred in each lung. Earlier this year a scan found that one in each lung developed a solid, malignancy in part of the nodule. The doctors could not confirm that these were two separate primaries or the same - leading to an ability to accurately stage the cancer. I had the 6 week chemo program in conjunction with radiation in 1 lung then had a 3 day SBRT in the other lung. A month after completing these treatments they found a new tumor and agreed to do SBRT on it - although it was not confirmed as malignant. These doctors use aggressive treatments. My next scan w/contrast is in Oct. so this is now a firm lesson in learning to live in the moment. The oncologist says I am doing exceptionally well. Guess I’ll go with this!

Honestly, I do not know.
Got Atlas cradle and tattoos today. Dr. Just called informing me 4 treatments with less radiation not to burn up chest.

@armycolonel, you may also be interested in this related discussion:
- What's your experience: proton SBRT non small cell lung cancer?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/had-sbrt-at-mayo-rochester-in-june-for-early-non-small-cell-lung-cance/

Did you start radiation? How are you doing?

Thanks, for asking!
I did 4 SBRT treatments with follow up and PET upcoming 5 December. I continue to walk or run 2 miles every day and feel great, but just waiting on December to see a path forward.
I herniated l4-l5 with minimal invasive surgery on 30 Oct. No pain, but need to get pressure off nerve to correct foot drop.

I’m confused about second and third round. Is this on the same tumor or it has shown up in a different area?
I start SBRT on Wednesday, I’m doing 5 treatments and from what I was told if this doesn’t work they can’t redo the same lobe a second time.

I initially had two tumors, one in each lung.
The first round of radiation was in a larger tumor in my right lung and was five days a week for six weeks along with chemotherapy.
The first SBRT was on the second, smaller, tumor in my left lung.
The second SBRT was in a third small tumor, which apparently formed while I was going through the initial treatments. At that time they did not confirm that this was malignant, but since it was new and near the larger tumor in my right lung, they suggested doing a round of SBRT. I agreed to do this, as a precautionary measure rather than go through the risk of another biopsy.
I had a scan with contrast a few weeks ago, and there is no sign of malignancy in the 2 tumors which had the SBRT treatment and both have reduced in size.
Also, the larger tumor in my right lung no longer shows any cancer.
My next scan will be in four months.
So this is a long answer to your question. I do believe that SBRT has a very high success rate. So far, I have proof of this.