Lung cancer is closely associated with smoking and remains one of the most common cancers worldwide. Key treatment challenges include tumor movement during respiration and shifts in tumor size and shape over the course of therapy. At Texas Radiotherapy, we leverage advanced technologies – such as Synchrony and Adaptive Radiotherapy – to overcome these obstacles, delivering more precise, targeted, and effective care.
Lung tumors can originate in the lung tissue itself (primary) or spread from another part of the body (metastatic). Primary lung cancer is divided into two main categories:
Metastatic Lung Tumors
Cancers that have spread to the lungs from other organs are primarily treated with systemic therapies, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drugs. In select cases—particularly for patients with limited metastatic spread (oligometastases)—advanced radiation techniques can treat specific lung lesions directly.
Most lung cancers do not cause any symptoms until they have spread, but some people with early lung cancer do have symptoms. If you go to your doctor when you first notice symptoms, your cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective. Most of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by something other than lung cancer. Still, if you have any of these problems, it’s important to see your doctor right away so the cause can be found and treated, if needed.
The most common symptoms of lung cancer are:
Heavy smokers should be screened for lung cancer using a low-dose CT scan.
Screening is recommended if you:
Research shows that screening with low-dose CT scans can reduce the risk of death from lung cancer for people at high risk of getting the disease.
Diagnosis is based on imaging studies including CXR, CT scan, PET-CT scan and MRI. If such studies show the presence of a concerning lesion, the diagnosis is made by a biopsy.
Biopsies are most commonly done by two approaches:
The stage and type of your lung cancer are principal factors in making decisions about your treatment. One of the biggest challenges in lung cancer treatment remains effectively treating the cancer, while minimizing dose to the many sensitive tissues and vital organs that surround the lungs. Precision is critical because the lungs are the center of a person’s respiratory system and play a key role in their ability to breathe.
The standard of care for early-stage lung cancer patients has been surgical resection (lobectomy). In approximately 2005, the gold standard of treatment for inoperable early-stage lung cancer patients became SABR (Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy) or SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy) based on the clinical trial results of Dr. Robert Timmerman.
Today, SBRT or SABR is the treatment of choice for elderly patients (older than 75 years) or for patients that are borderline operable based on medical conditions. Most recently, SBRT / SABR was shown to be better tolerated and might lead to better overall survival in medically fit patients as compared to surgical resection according to the pooled analysis of clinical trials in the USA and abroad.
Reference: Chang S. et al. “Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy versus lobectomy for operable stage I non-small-cell lung cancer: a pooled analysis of two rancomised trials.”
With state-of-the-art radiation technology, including Synchrony, non-surgical treatments for lung cancer are becoming the standard of care.
Texas Radiotherapy’s Radixact® System provides the flexibility to adapt radiation therapy to any lung cancer patient’s anatomy. The system offers a non-surgical option for treating lung cancer designed to maximize the radiation delivered to the cancerous tumor while minimizing dose to healthy tissues. This precision helps to improve the effectiveness of the cancer treatment, while reducing the risk of side effects to protect your quality of life both during and after treatment.
A lung cancer diagnosis requires treatment that acts quickly while protecting essential breathing capacity. Because the lungs are constantly moving with every breath and sit adjacent to the heart, esophagus, and spinal cord, precision targeting is critical. At Texas Radiotherapy, Dr. Matthew Cavey combines an engineering background with decades of stereotactic radiosurgery leadership—having treated over 2,000 SRS/SBRT cases—to deliver powerful, tumor-ablating radiation while safeguarding healthy lung tissue.
Below are five essential questions patients and families ask when considering lung radiation therapy with Dr. Cavey.
For localized, early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)—also known as Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR)—delivers tumor control rates comparable to surgical wedge resection or lobectomy. SBRT is completely non-invasive, requiring no incisions, general anesthesia, or hospitalization. It is an established curative alternative for patients who cannot undergo surgery due to underlying lung disease (such as COPD or emphysema) or who prefer to avoid the risks and recovery time of major thoracic surgery.
Tumors in the lung naturally move up, down, and laterally as you inhale and exhale. To overcome this, Dr. Cavey utilizes 4D-CT simulation and advanced motion-management technologies, including real-time image guidance and motion synchronization (such as Synchrony® tracking). Instead of radiating a large margin to account for movement, our platform dynamically tracks the tumor throughout your breathing cycle. The radiation beam stays locked on the tumor while sparing the adjacent healthy lung, heart, and esophagus.
Your treatment schedule depends on your cancer’s stage, size, and location:
Preserving your baseline lung function is a core priority of our planning process. Using 3D computer optimization and steep dose-falloff gradients, Dr. Cavey contours the exact shape of your tumor to minimize radiation exposure to functional lung tissue. This deliberate planning lowers the risk of radiation pneumonitis (lung inflammation), chest wall soreness, and shortness of breath. If you have pre-existing respiratory conditions, your treatment plan is tailored to respect your specific pulmonary capacity.
Effective thoracic oncology relies on tight multidisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Cavey communicates directly with your pulmonologist, thoracic surgeon, and medical oncologist to integrate radiation into your overall care timeline—whether that means following up on a biopsy, timing radiation alongside targeted therapy, or preparing for consolidation immunotherapy (such as durvalumab). Throughout your treatment, you have direct access to Dr. Cavey and our clinical team for immediate symptom checks and respiratory support.
Consult Directly with Dr. Cavey
Lung cancer treatment requires experience, advanced motion-tracking technology, and a physician who treats you like family. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Cavey to review your CT/PET imaging, evaluate SBRT options, and build a targeted treatment plan.
Schedule a Lung Cancer Consultation or call our Fort Worth clinic directly at 817-796-6400
