A study of postoperative radiotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer: a randomized trial

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2000 Jul 1;47(4):925-9. doi: 10.1016/s0360-3016(00)00509-5.

Abstract

Purpose: To study the value of postoperative radiotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with positive regional lymph metastases (NI or N2) after radical surgery.

Materials and methods: From February 1982 to October 1995, 366 patients with NSCLC and N1 or N2 disease were randomized into postoperative radiotherapy (S + R) (183 patients) and no further treatment (S alone) (182 patients). Postoperative radiotherapy (RT) was administrated 3-4 weeks after radical operation. Irradiated fields covered the bronchial stump, ipsilateral hilum, and most of the mediastinum. The midplane dose was 6000 cGy/30 fractions/6 weeks, with the spinal cord limited to 4000 cGy/20 fractions/4 weeks or less. One hundred thirty-four patients in S + R group and 162 patients in S alone group were evaluated. Clinical data were comparable in both arms, except for the numbers of N2 patients.

Results: The 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 51.9% and 42.9% in the S + R group and 50.2% and 40.5% in the S alone Group (p = 0.56). The 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 50.7% +/- 4.7% and 42.9% +/- 5.2% in the S + R group vs. 44.4% +/- 4.3% and 38.2% +/- 4.5% in the S alone group (p = 0.28), respectively. In the patients with NI or T3-4 tumors, there was a trend toward improved survival in the S + R group, especially in the patients with T3-4N1M0. These patients demonstrated 20% improvement in overall survival (p = 0.092) and greater than 20% better disease-free survival (p = 0.057). Postoperative RT reduced local recurrence but had no impact on distant metastases.

Conclusion: Postoperative RT significantly reduced local relapses, but did not improve overall survival, due to a high frequency of distant metastases in this patient group.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / radiotherapy*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / surgery
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Postoperative Period
  • Survival Rate