title: Result of irradiation of intrathoracic metastases: the implication of associated extrathoracic metastases on the results.
abstract: Thirteen patients with intrathoracic metastasis were treated with radiotherapy. Response was obtained in 75% (9/12) of cases and was complete in 50% (6/12). There was extrathoracic metastasis at time of radiotherapy in six patients. Complete disappearance of intrathoracic metastasis occurred only in patients without extrathoracic metastasis; only three of six had primaries known to be radiosensitive (Wilms' tumor and Ewing's sarcoma). In three patients the intrathoracic metastasis progressed after radiotherapy and all had extrathoracic metastasis. It is concluded that radiotherapy is an effective modality of treatment of intrathoracic metastasis and that favorable response is associated with the absence of extrathoracic metastasis rather than the known radiosensitivity of the primary.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*