Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of Gamma Knife stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) on the hematological system in patients with advanced lung cancer and to assess its clinical outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 192 patients with advanced lung cancer. 108 patients who received conventional radiotherapy were included in the control group, and the rest 84 patients who received Gamma Knife SBRT were included in the experimental group. Treatment outcomes, disease progression one year after radiotherapy, blood cell counts, coagulation function, quality of survival scores, and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The experimental group exhibited a significantly higher disease control rate (DCR) and objective response rate (ORR) compared to the control group (both P<0.05). Radiotherapy modality was identified as an independent factor influencing disease progression within one year. Both groups experienced reductions in leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets after radiotherapy, but the experimental group had less pronounced reductions (P<0.05). Alterations in blood cell morphology were observed in both groups, with the experimental group showing fewer alterations (P<0.05). Coagulation function tests indicated a rise in prothrombin time (PT), a decrease in activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and an increase in fibrinogen (Fib) and D-Dimer (D-D) levels in both groups, with more favorable coagulation indices observed in the experimental group. Patients in both groups showed improvement in quality of survival scores post-treatment, with the experimental group outperforming the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the experimental group compared to the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared to traditional radiotherapy, Gamma Knife SBRT has a less detrimental impact on the blood cell level, morphology, and coagulation function in patients with moderate to advanced lung cancer. It also improves patients' quality of survival with fewer adverse reactions and better disease control. These findings suggest that Gamma Knife SBRT is a promising treatment option and warrants further exploration and adoption in clinical practice.