Stereotactic radiotherapy for brain metastases of non-small cell lung cancer: A comprehensive review.

Lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), remains a leading cause of cancer-related death globally, and a significant number of patients develop brain metastasis (BM) as the disease progresses. The presence of BM, which affects up to 60% of patients with NSCLC, is correlated with an unfavorable prognosis and markedly decreased quality of life. Standard treatment options for BMs, such as whole-brain radiation therapy and surgery, have displayed limited efficacy in controlling disease progression, and they can cause significant neurocognitive side effects. Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), including stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated SRT, and stereotactic body radiotherapy, represents an advanced and precise approach for treating BM that minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissues. This review highlights recent advances in the application of SRT for treating BM of NSCLC, focusing on its underlying biological principles and mechanisms of action as well as the quality standards necessary for effective SRT implementation. The ability of SRT to deliver substantial radiation doses in a precisely targeted manner has resulted in better local tumor management, fewer side effects, and increased patient survival rates. Future research is crucial to improve SRT procedures and successfully incorporate them into multimodal therapy plans for patients with NSCLC and BM.