Postoperative adjuvant mediastinal radiation in lung cancer

Postoperative adjuvant mediastinal radiation therapy was used in a group of 18 patients with advanced (nine Stage 2, nine Stage 3) non-small cell carcinoma of the lung who had undergone curative resection. All patients had metastases to hilar and/or mediastinal nodes. The disease-free survival at 2 1/2 years was 55% for Stage 2 patients, suggesting a survival advantage compared to historical controls. No benefit was found in Stage 3 patients. A prospective randomized study of adjuvant radiation in node-positive patients is indicated.