Open AccessDelayed esophageal perforation from stereotactic body radiation therapy for locally recurrent central nonsmall cell lung cancer
Author(s) -
Sandeep Sainathan,
Lynn Wu,
Shahriyour Andaz
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
lung india
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.457
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 0974-598X
pISSN - 0970-2113
DOI - 10.4103/0970-2113.129854
Subject(s) - medicine , perforation , esophagitis , radiation therapy , radiosurgery , radiology , esophageal cancer , esophagus , lung cancer , lung , surgery , cancer , oncology , disease , materials science , reflux , punching , metallurgy
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a novel form of external beam radiation therapy. It is used to treat early and locally recurrent nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSLC) in medically inoperable patients. It uses high dose, hypofractionated radiotherapy, with targeting of the tumor by precise spatial localization, thus minimizing injury to surrounding tissues. It can be safely used to ablate NSLC in both central and peripheral locations. We present two cases of delayed esophageal perforation after SBRT for locally recurrent central NSLC. The perforations occurred several months after the therapy. They were treated with covered esophageal stents, with mortality, due to the perforation in one of the patients. SBRT should be judiciously used to ablate centrally located NSLC and patients who develop episodes of esophagitis during or after SBRT, need to be closely followed with endoscopy to look for esophageal ulcerations. These ulcers should be closely followed for healing as these may degenerate into full thickness perforations several months after SBRT.