Oncologic efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a systemic meta-analysis
In brief
SBRT meta-analysis finds 60% of patients alive at two years
Across 18 studies involving 1,105 people with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer, stereotactic body radiotherapy was associated with 60% survival at two years and local control in 74% by two years. Severe treatment-related side effects occurred in 4.5%; results varied across disease subtypes, so which patients benefit most remains unclear.
- Journal
- Clinical & experimental metastasis (Q1)
- Published
- 3 November 2026
- Study design
- Systematic review of cohort studies
- Evidence level
- Level 2, Moderate (CEBM 2a)
- Authors
- Jae-Uk Jeong, Gyu Sang Yoo, Jong Hoon Lee, Yong Chan Ahn, Chai Hong Rim, Eui Kyu Chie, et al.
- PMID
- 42975717
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10585-026-10445-7
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Radiation Oncology (paper of the day, 5 November 2026): SBRT outcomes, dose strategy, oligometastatic NSCLC toxicity
Abstract
PURPOSE: With the increasing clinical interest on local consolidative therapies for oligometastasis (OM), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has emerged as a definitive and optimal treatment modality. This study stratifies oligoprogressive (OPD), oligorecurrent (ORD), and oligopersistent (OPSD) states-alongside single-lesion subgroup analyses-to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of SBRT for oligometastatic NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This meta-analysis was conducted utilizing the Pubmed, Embase and Medline. The quantitative synthesis included 18 eligible studies comprising a total of 1,105 patients. The clinical endpoints assessed were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local control (LC), and the incidence of severe (grade 3 or higher) treatment-related toxicities. RESULTS: The pooled estimates demonstrated robust oncological outcomes; 2-year OS of 60.0% (95% CI, 50.4-68.8%), 1-year PFS of 65.8% (95% CI, 52.7-76.8%), and 2-year LC rate of 74.2% (95% CI, 63.9-82.4%). The incidence of severe toxicities (grade ≥ 3) was 4.5%, predominantly manifesting as radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis. Subgroup analyses revealed that a higher prevalence of single-metastatic lesions (> 59%) exhibited a borderline positive trend toward superior 2-year OS (67.5% vs. 47.8%, p = 0.069). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicates that SBRT yields favorable treatment outcomes for patients with oligometastatic NSCLC with manageable toxicities. When anatomically feasible, delivering an ablative dose-100 Gy10 in biologically effective dose-is recommended. Furthermore, tailoring SBRT strategies by oligometastatic subtype-upfront radical SBRT for synchronous disease/ORD and salvage SBRT for OPSD/OPD-is essential to maximize the treatment efficacy.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.