[Palliative radiotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma]

The efficacy of palliative radiotherapy of NSCLC was evaluated. 70 patients with histologically and cytologically confirmed advanced NSCLC were palliativelly irradiated in Department of Oncology I. Medical Faculty Charles University, Prague, in the period 1/93-12/94. 46 patients were evaluable for response (32 men, 14 women, median age 66.1, range 46-82). Median survival was 24.5 weeks. The most frequent intrathoracal symptoms were: cough 54%, chest pain 41%, dyspnoe 54%, hemoptysis 13%, VCS sy 7%. Palliation of the main symptoms has been achieved in 68% for cough, in 83% for hemoptysis, in 89% for chest pain, in 60% for dyspnoe and in 100% for VCS sy (in combination with chemotherapy). The median duration of palliation was 14.7 weeks for all the main symptoms, e.g. more than 50% of overall survival. Two fractionations schedules for the chest radiotherapy were used: 30 Gy/10 fr/2 wks (67%) or short regimens 8-20 Gy/1-2 fr/1-2 wks (33%). The results of palliation and survival are similar for both treatment schedules. Side effects has been infrequent, only 6 patients (13%) had dysphagia during the treatment. Radiation myelopathy has been not observed in any case. The therapeutical effect has been achieved in the more than 80% cases of pain, hemoptysis and VCS syndrome.