A rationale for the targeted treatment of oligometastases with radiotherapy.

An oligometastatic state has been proposed wherein patients with metastases limited in number and location may benefit from local therapy directed at all known sites of metastases. We describe here the clinical and biological basis for the oligometastatic state. We present evidence for a potentially curative approach to patients with oligometastases using stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and we review the literature for SBRT directed at specific metastatic sites in the lungs, liver and multiple organs.