[Clinical study of prophylactic cranial irradiation for small-cell lung cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To study the influence of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) on survival and brain metastases in patients with limited small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).


METHODS
Fiftyone patients with limited SCLC under complete remission after chemoradiotherapy were randomly divided into prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) group (n = 26) and control group (n = 25). Patients in PCI group received irradiation at a dose of 25.2-30.6 Gy. Survival rates were analyzed and compared by life table and Long-Rank, incidence of cranial metastases by chi 2 test.


RESULTS
The clinical features of patients such as age, sex, effect of treatment before PCI were similar between the two groups. The incidence of cranial metastases was 3.8% in PCI group in contrast to 28% in the control group (P < 0.05). The 1, 2, 3-year survival rate was 84.6%, 73.1%, 42.3% respectively in PCI group and 72%, 40%, 32% respectively in the control group. The differences between the two groups of petients were statistically insignificant. No serious sequela was observed in patients receiving PCI.


CONCLUSIONS
PCI decreases the incidence of cranial metastases for patients with limited SCLC following complete response to chemoradiotherapy, but it does not improve survival.
Cao
K
K
Radiotherapy Department, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Huang
H
H
Tu
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016896:Treatment Outcome