Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Imaging-guided adaptive radiation therapy in limited-stage small cell lung cancer: Current evidence and clinical perspectives
Omer Sager, Department of Radiation Oncology, Gulhane Medical Faculty, University of Health Sciences, Ankara 0090, Türkiye
Author contributions: Sager O contributed solely to the design of the manuscript, the acquisition and interpretation of data, and the drafting and revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. The author has read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: Artificial intelligence (AI)-based language assistance tools were used solely to improve the readability and presentation of the manuscript. Specifically, these tools were utilized for: Improving grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure; rephrasing selected paragraphs to enhance clarity and academic language; improving transitions between sections and reducing linguistic redundancy; assisting with formatting and organization of the manuscript text. Importantly, AI tools were not used to generate original scientific concepts, formulate the study hypothesis, design the methodology, perform data collection, conduct statistical analyses, interpret results, generate figures or tables, create references, or draw scientific conclusions. All scientific content, including the design, data analyses, interpretation of findings, and final conclusions, originated entirely from the author. Furthermore, every AI-assisted revision underwent comprehensive manual review by the author. All text generated or modified with AI assistance was carefully verified for scientific accuracy, factual correctness, appropriate citations, and consistency with the original data. The author assumes full responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and originality of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares that he has no conflict of interest to disclose.
Corresponding author: Omer Sager, MD, Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Gulhane Medical Faculty, University of Health Sciences, 06018 Etlik Ankara Ankara 0090, Türkiye. omersager@gmail.com
Received: June 25, 2026
Revised: July 21, 2026
Accepted: August 3, 2026
Published online: August 28, 2026
Processing time: 64 Days and 2.2 Hours
Revised: July 21, 2026
Accepted: August 3, 2026
Published online: August 28, 2026
Processing time: 64 Days and 2.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Adaptive radiation therapy (ART) is a viable treatment strategy accounting for changes in tumor size and anatomy during the course of irradiation. Limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) may be well suited for ART since it responds well to both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Despite paucity of high level evidence, several studies have investigated ART for LS-SCLC and have reported promising results. Changes that could be accounted for by ART may include tumor regression or progression, atelectasis, pleural effusion, anatomical shifts, and infiltrative changes.