A new study says that stereotactic body radiation therapy may help control inoperable lung cancer tumors. It is capable of controlling more than 87% of early stage inoperable lung cancer tumors for 3 years.

Researchers reveal that surgical removal of tumors is the standard treatment for early-stage lung cancer, but surgical treatment cannot be performed in some patients because of other illnesses like emphysema and heart disease.

Researchers conducted a study of 55 patients with non-small cell lung tumors whose condition would not allow performing surgery treatment.

After three years of treatment, the study revealed that 48.3% were disease-free and survived, and 55.8% of those who got the therapy survived for three years. On the whole, 20% of the patients died due to lung cancer. As the treatment helped cure tumors in the lungs, 22% of patients suffered with tumors in elsewhere in the body.

The researchers added that the tumors may have been unnoticed during the early screening. They recommend the need for better screening with other cancer drugs to reduce the disease.