Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.8
4.4
Journals
Cancers
Special Issues
Recent Developments in the Field of Radiotherapy Treatment for Lung...
share announcement

Recent Developments in the Field of Radiotherapy Treatment for Lung Cancer

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 February 2026 | Viewed by 347

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ioannis C. Maroulis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Surgery, University of Patras Medical School, 26500 Patras, Greece
Interests: stem cells; pagreatic cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) coming out on top according to the 2020 global cancer statistics; this type represents 80–85% of all lung cancers globally. Radiotherapy, an important component of the multidisciplinary management of lung cancer, plays a critical role in the entire treatment process for these patients. In recent years, guided by the principle of multidisciplinary and personalized precision treatment strategies, the role of radiotherapy has expanded from local regional tumor control or symptom palliation in the past to systemic immunomodulation when combined with immunotherapy in modern practice.

This Special Issue examines the current role of radiotherapy in lung cancer, discusses the evidence behind this, and identifies future directions in the radiotherapy treatment of lung cancer.

Original articles, comprehensive reviews, and systematic reviews will be considered for publication.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ioannis C. Maroulis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lung cancer
  • radiotherapy
  • non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 1416 KiB  
Article
Benefits from 18F-FDG PET-CT-Based Radiotherapy Planning in Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective Single-Center Study
by Admir Mulita, Pipitsa Valsamaki, Eleni Bekou, Stavros Anevlavis, Christos Nanos, Athanasios Zisimopoulos, Alexandra Giatromanolaki and Michael I. Koukourakis
Cancers 2025, 17(12), 1969; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17121969 - 13 Jun 2025
Viewed by 279
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Accurate radiotherapy (RT) planning alongside chemotherapy and immunotherapy is critical for improving treatment outcomes for inoperable non-metastatic cases. Conventional computed tomography (CT)-based planning may be inadequate for accurately identifying tumor margins and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Accurate radiotherapy (RT) planning alongside chemotherapy and immunotherapy is critical for improving treatment outcomes for inoperable non-metastatic cases. Conventional computed tomography (CT)-based planning may be inadequate for accurately identifying tumor margins and the location of nodal disease. We investigated whether 18F-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) imaging can assist in target volume delineation for primary, nodal, and metastatic disease in the RT planning and overall therapeutic planning of patients. Methods: In this single-center, prospective study, we recruited 34 patients with histologically confirmed locally advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). All patients underwent 18F-FDG PET-CT-based RT simulation. Two sequential RT plans were created by the same radiation oncologist: one based on CT alone and the other PET-CT. Planning target volumes (PTVs) and PET-CT-guided adjustments were analyzed to assess their impact. Standardized protocols for immobilization, imaging, target delineation, and dose prescription were applied. Results: A total of 34 patients (31 males and 3 females) were recruited in the study. 18F-FDG PET-CT detected distant metastases in 7/34 (20.6%) patients, altering the overall therapeutic plan in 4/34 (11.8%) and allowing radical RT in 3 of them who had oligometastatic disease (8.8%). It modified RT planning in 26/34 (76.5%) patients and clarified malignancy in atelectatic areas. Nodal involvement was identified in 3/34 patients (8.8%) and excluded in 3/34 cases, avoiding unnecessary nodal irradiation. Additional involved nodes were revealed in 12/34 (35.3%) patients, requiring dose escalation. Overall, changes to the tumor PTV were made in 23/30 (76.6%) and to the nodal PTV in 19/30 (63.3%) cases (p < 0.0001). Primary tumor and nodal PTVs increased in 20/34 (66.7%) and 13/34 (43.3%), respectively. Conclusions: 18F-FDG PET-CT significantly improves RT planning by more precisely defining tumor and nodal volumes, identifying undetected lesions, and guiding dose adaptation. Larger long-term studies are required to confirm potential locoregional control and survival improvements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in the Field of Radiotherapy Treatment for Lung Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop