Should radiotherapy be utilized in stage IVA NSCLC with a malignant pericardial effusion?
If there is no other evidence of metastatic disease, would you offer thoracic radiation? Either upfront with chemo or after initial system therapy if the patient has a good response?
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
This has come up on occasions. I'm not aware of any high-quality evidence to guide one way or another. I would say, there may be a role for thoracic RT on a case by case basis. Though, I would preface all of this by stating that malignant pericardial effusion usually confers a poor prognosis.I assum...