Radiation Injury of the Lung After Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Lung Cancer. CT and PET/CT Imaging.

Objectives Describe the SBRT technique and the mechanisms of SBRT induced lung injury. Describe and illustrate the characteristic CT and PET/CT patterns of radiation pneumonitis and radiation fibrosis as well as CT imaging risk factors. Discuss guidelines for the timing and interpretation of post SBRT CT and the role of FDG PET CT imaging. Stereotactic body-radiation therapy (SBRT) is an effective treatment with excellent results for patients with peripheral stage I non-small-cell lung cancer that is inoperable. SBRT delivers large doses of radiation to the target volume with millimeter accuracy and minimizes the dose to the adjacent normal tissue. Despite technological advances that permit the precision required for SBRT, normal tissues near the tumor receive higher biologic doses of radiation than with standard treatment. The Nuclear Medicine Physicians and Radiologists need to be familiar with the appearance of the CT changes after SBRT and the indications and timing of performing FDG PET/CT to evaluate treatment response and to differentiate between post SBRT changes and tumor recurrence.

Methods -

Results -

Conclusions -