Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer and the most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the U.S. It is estimated that 234,030 new cases of lung and bronchus cancer will be diagnosed in 2018 and that 154,050 people will die from the disease. While it is widely recognized that smoking is a main cause of lung cancer, new cases, deaths and 5-year survival rates have not markedly improved since 1975 (1,2).

There are two types of lung cancer, small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. The vast majority of patients, 85%, are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which amounts to an estimated 198,925 new cases in 2018. Radiation therapy alone (for limited disease) or combined with chemotherapy (for extensive disease) is the standard treatment for NSCLC. It is estimated that 37% of early stage and 58% of late stage NSCLC patients receive radiation therapy (2).

NSCLC statistics are particularly grim as it represents more than half of all new invasive cancers diagnosed. In addition, as most of these present at locally advanced stages this cancer results in about one-third of all cancer deaths (1).  Radiation dose escalation for NSCLC is particularly difficult due to the close proximity of critical organs. Thus, patients with NSCLC would benefit greatly from a therapy such as BIO 300 that could protect the normal tissues near the cancer site(s), while also increasing the effectiveness of radiation therapy.