title: Prospective evaluation of changes in computed cranial tomography in patients with small cell lung carcinoma treated with chemotherapy and prophylactic cranial irradiation.
abstract: Computed cranial tomographic scans were performed as part of the pretreatment evaluation and at six- to nine-month intervals posttreatment in 13 patients with small cell lung carcinoma. All patients received 3,000 rad of prophylactic cranial irradiation delivered over two weeks in ten treatment fractions in conjunction with multiagent chemotherapy. Posttreatment scans documented an extraordinarily high frequency of abnormalities including cerebral atrophy (100%), ventricular dilatation (70%), and decreased coefficient of absorption in the white matter (15%). Unexplained neurologic abnormalities developed in four of six patients living at least 15 months after institution of therapy. As the number of long-term survivors of this type of lung cancer increases, the need for prospective comprehensive neuropsychologic assessment to determine the clinical significance of these changes is needed.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001284:Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000556:secondary; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed