Innovative technologies in thoracic radiation therapy for lung cancer.

Radiation therapy plays a major role in the cure of patients affected with lung cancer, both in early and locally advanced disease. Local control and survival rates are still poor, even with the best combination with chemotherapy and/or targeted agents. The recent technical advances in radiotherapy changed the planning and delivery processes, enabling radiation oncologists to modify treatment schedules towards further dose intensification, while opening a new scenario for future clinical studies. In this paper we briefly review the major technical changes in the field of thoracic radiotherapy for primary lung tumors and their potential in improving clinical outcomes.