Hoffman says that the biggest side effect of treatment was feeling tired for a couple of weeks, but it was nothing like the fatigue his wife experienced when she was treated for breast cancer many years ago. "I assumed that would happen to me, and it didn't. I was tired, but it wasn't debilitating," he said.

It will be another three to six months before Hoffman is brought back for follow-up scans, said Shermian Woodhouse, M.D., radiation oncologist and cancer center medical director. "There's every reason to hope that we'll see no more evidence of the tumor in the best case scenario, and shrinkage of the tumor at the least," she said. "That would be in line with our prior experience, and also, the medical literature on the use of stereotactic body radiotherapy to treat inoperable lung cancer."1,2,3,4


Since its installation at the end of March, clinicians at the Community Cancer Center have used the TrueBeam machine to treat cancer of the lung, breast and multiple other disease sites.

"Having the TrueBeam STx makes it possible for us to offer more varied treatment options to a wider range of patients," said Woodhouse. "The system also offers us more tools for ensuring and documenting the accuracy of treatments. From the perspective of our staff, it has enabled a significant improvement to our workflow. Since it was installed, I've seen an increase in staff morale. Our people know that the Cancer Center is dedicated to providing them with the tools they need to do their jobs really well."

Note: high resolution images of the TrueBeam™ STx system are available by in Varian's online media room.

1Timmerman R, et al. Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Inoperable Early Stage Lung Cancer. JAMA; 2010;303(11):1070-1076.

2 Haasbeek, CJA et al. Early-stage lung cancer in elderly patients: A population-based study of changes in treatment patterns and survival in the Netherlands. Ann Oncol 2012;23:2743-2747.

3Lagerwaard FJ, et al. Outcomes of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in patients with potentially operable stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012;83(1):348-353.

4Onishi H et al. Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) For Operable Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Can SBRT Be Comparable To Surgery? Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys. 2011;81(5);1352-1358.

*Radiosurgery or SBRT may cause side effects that can vary depending on the part of the body being treated. The most frequent ones are typically temporary and may include, but are not limited to, irritation to the respiratory, digestive, urinary or reproductive systems, fatigue, nausea, skin irritation, and hair loss. In some patients, they can be severe. Treatment sessions may vary in complexity and time. Radiation treatment is not appropriate for all cancers. Patients should discuss the potential for side effects and their severity as well as the benefits of radiation with their doctors to make sure radiation treatment is right for them.

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