Enhancing outcomes in medically inoperable early-stage NSCLC with gut-targeted antibiotics and stereotactic body radiotherapy: results from a randomized pilot study.

Background: Gut microbiota modulation is an emerging strategy to improve cancer therapy outcomes. This study evaluated the safety and therapeutic potential of combining oral vancomycin-a non-absorbed, gut-restricted antibiotic with primary activity against gram-positive bacteria-with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The underlying hypothesis was that vancomycin-induced changes in gut microbiota could enhance the antitumor effects of SBRT.

Preoperative radiation therapy significantly increases patient eligibility for accelerated partial breast irradiation using 3D-conformal radiotherapy.

Introduction: Three-dimensional-conformal radiation (3D-CRT) is the most common approach used in National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-39 for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Administration of APBI-3D-CRT in the preoperative (preop) setting has been shown to decrease the planning target volume. The impact of this decrease on patient eligibility for APBI has not been evaluated in a comparative manner.