Lung cancer: Added radiotherapy slows disease but does not extend survival
In patients with few metastases, irradiating all sites extended time without progression from 8.9 to 13.9 months, the UK SARON trial found. Overall survival barely changed.
Symbolic image · Photo: liz west from Boxborough, MA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer that has formed only a few metastases may gain time before their disease progresses if they receive radiotherapy to all known tumor sites in addition to standard treatment. That is according to results of the British phase II SARON trial presented at the ESMO 2026 cancer congress. The trial enrolled 140 patients at 19 UK centers with one to five metastases in no more than three organs. All received chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy, and half also received radiotherapy.
According to the data, median progression-free survival was 13.9 months with radiotherapy and 8.9 months without – a 56% increase. Within 12 months, cancer grew at the original sites in 13% of irradiated patients and in 39.5% of the others. However, the trial missed its primary goal of longer overall survival: 31 versus 28 months, a difference that was not statistically significant. Severe side effects occurred in 28.6% of patients in both groups.
Chief investigator Fiona McDonald of London's Royal Marsden hospital described a significant improvement in progression-free survival "without compromising quality of life." The results come from a congress presentation and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. This is general patient information – whether such treatment is suitable is for treating physicians to decide.
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