Relationship between Dose Prescription Methods and Local Control Rate in Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Early Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Simple Summary Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a standard treatment for inoperable early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC), and good local control and low toxicity rates have been reported. However, the optimal dose prescription method remains unclear. Variations in dose prescription methods make it difficult to properly compare the outcomes of SBRT for ES-NSCLC with those of previously published studies. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a comprehensive search of the published literature on the therapeutic results of SBRT for ES-NSCLC to summarize the results and clarify the relationship between LC and dose prescription methods. In our results, the central biologically effective dose of the planning target volume was most correlated with 3-year local control rates. A comparison against a standardized central biologically effective dose would show more definite outcomes of SBRT for ES-NSCLC and would help to strengthen its use in the treatment for ES-NSCLC. Variations in dose prescription methods in stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) make it difficult to properly compare the outcomes of published studies. We conducted a comprehensive search of the published literature to summarize the outcomes by discerning the relationship between local control (LC) and dose prescription sites. We systematically searched PubMed to identify observational studies reporting LC after SBRT for peripheral ES-NSCLC. The correlations between LC and four types of biologically effective doses (BED) were evaluated, which were calculated from nominal, central, and peripheral prescription points and, from those, the average BED. To evaluate information on SBRT for peripheral ES-NSCLC, 188 studies were analyzed. The number of relevant articles increased over time. The use of an inhomogeneity correction was mentioned in less than half of the articles, even among the most recent. To evaluate the relationship between the four BEDs and LC, 33 studies were analyzed. Univariate meta-regression revealed that only the central BED significantly correlated with the 3-year LC of SBRT for ES-NSCLC (p = 0.03). As a limitation, tumor volume, which might affect the results of this study, could not be considered due to a lack of data. In conclusion, the central dose prescription is appropriate for evaluating the correlation between the dose and LC of SBRT for ES-NSCLC. The standardization of SBRT dose prescriptions is desirable.