RESUMO
Radiation therapy (RT) is a clinical modality treatment that uses ionizing radiation in the approach of malignant tumors, (and occasionally benign diseases). Since its inception, the goal of RT has been to cure cancer without excessive side effects. The most important factors affecting the results of RT are the tumor histology, its location and regional extent, the anatomic area of involvement and the geometric accuracy with which a calculated radiation dose is delivered. Radiotherapy is one of the basic treatment modalities in thoracic malignancies and is used across all histology types and stages. Technical developments of radiotherapy have further strengthened and redefined its place in the management of lung cancer. High precision intensity-modulated radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), coupled with management of tumor motion and on-board imaging, increased efficacy and markedly decreased treatment-related toxicity. With this brief review, the authors pretend to present basic concepts and recent techniques advances in the use of radiation therapy for thoracic malignancies.