Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. Precision treatment of lung cancer.

Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy is a mode of precision radiation treatment that currently is being integrated into the multidisciplinary management of lung cancer. 3-DCRT represents a technical improvement in comparison with conventional treatment. This has been achieved without the use of innovations in accelerator hardware that are currently being developed and tested. When these technical advances are widely available for clinical use, they will be integrated with the current 3-DCRT systems, which are for the most part composed of improvements in software. Thus, 3-DCRT is a modality in a state of flux that should have great clinical potential in the future. The accurate dose volume histogram data available with current 3-DCRT systems will facilitate strategies to predict and prevent radiation pneumonitis.