Radiation therapy for renal cell carcinoma

Abstract

Radiation therapy (RT) has traditionally been disregarded in the primary or adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but recent advances have necessitated a re-examination of the role radiation therapy may be able to play. The advent of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), which allows for targeting of disease with higher doses in a shorter window of time, may open up new avenues for RT's role in the treatment of RCC, a cancer with a relatively low alpha/beta ratio. Thus, this review examines both the history and future of RT in the treatment of RCC with an aim to expand the discussion on treatment options for RCC.