title: Whole-lung irradiation for Kaposi's sarcoma.
abstract: Twenty-five patients were treated with whole-lung irradiation for symptomatic pulmonary KS. Treatment was most often given four days per week, 150 cGy per fraction, to 1050-1500 cGy (mean 1224 cGy). No acute toxicity was observed. 89% of patients completing therapy reported improvement in dyspnea. All patients responding symptomatically could reduce (and 78% could eliminate) oxygen use. Chest x-rays showed concurrent improvement in 78% of cases, although this was > or = 50% clearance of infiltrate in only 28%. Symptomatic improvement was prompt, always occurring during the 2-2 1/2 week therapy course. Clinical response was transient in some patients, but 12 weeks after therapy 56% remained symptomatically improved. Pulmonary KS indicated an advanced stage of AIDS and survival was short (mean: 15.7 weeks after completion of therapy). Patients with poor performance status (Karnovsky: < or = 30%) and progression of disease despite chemotherapy had very short survival (mean: 3.2 weeks). For such patients, a supportive care only approach without radiotherapy is suggested. For others, whole-lung irradiation provides prompt symptomatic improvement for most patients, and offers a simple treatment approach with little toxicity for often debilitated patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, San Francisco, California 94120.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012142:Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis