Radical radiotherapy for bronchogenic carcinoma: five year survival rates

A total of 443 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma were treated by radical radiotherapy. Their 5-year survival rate was 10.5%, median survival 57 weeks. Of these patients 42 (9.5%) had postoperative residual or recurrent tumour. Their 5-year survival rate was 14.3%, median 80 weeks. The corresponding figures for the 401 patients who had had no previous therapy were 10.2% and 54 weeks. The tumour was histologically confirmed in 277 patients; their 5-year survival rate was 6.9%, median 54 weeks. The corresponding figures for the 166 patients who had no positive histology were 16.9% and 61 weeks. The 5-year survival rate of 235 patients with positive histology who had no surgery was 5.5%, median 51 weeks. Age and sex had no significant influence on survival. Tumour size and regional lymph node status had a marked influence on survival. The 5-year survival rate was 27.5% for patients who had T1 tumours and 8.2% for those with T2/3 tumours (P less than 0.001), median 125 and 51.5 weeks, respectively. The lymph node status was recorded in 72% of patients. The 5-year survival rate of patients who had nodal involvement was 7.4% (median 44 weeks) and 18.6% for those who had no apparent lymph node involvement (median 71 weeks), P less than 0.001. Histological type and grade had no influence on survival; in particular the survival of patients who had small cell carcinoma was similar to those of other carcinomas. Dose had no influence on survival in this series.