Initial evaluation of treatment-related pneumonitis in advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with concurrent chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the rate of high-grade treatment-related pneumonitis (TRP) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with concurrent chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).


METHODS
From August 2002 to August 2005, 151 NSCLC patients were treated with IMRT. We excluded patients who did not receive concurrent chemotherapy or who had early-stage cancers, a history of major lung surgery, prior chest RT, a dose <50 Gy, or IMRT combined with three-dimensional conformal RT (3D-CRT). Toxicities were graded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0. Grade > or = 3 TRP for 68 eligible IMRT patients was compared with TRP among 222 similar patients treated with 3D-CRT.


RESULTS
The median follow-up durations for the IMRT and 3D-CRT patients were 8 months (range, 0-27 months) and 9 months (range, 0-56 months), respectively. The median IMRT and 3D-CRT doses were 63 Gy. The median gross tumor volume was 194 mL (range, 21-911 mL) for IMRT, compared with 142 mL (range, 1.5-1,186 mL) for 3D-CRT (p = 0.002). Despite the IMRT group's larger gross tumor volume, the rate of Grade > or = 3 TRP at 12 months was 8% (95% confidence interval 4%-19%), compared with 32% (95% confidence interval 26%-40%) for 3D-CRT (p = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
In advanced NSCLC patients treated with chemoradiation, IMRT resulted in significantly lower levels of Grade > or = 3 TRP compared with 3D-CRT. Clinical, dosimetric, and patient selection factors that may have influenced rates of TRP require continuing investigation. A randomized trial comparing IMRT with 3D-CRT has been initiated.
Yom
Sue S
SS
Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Liao
Zhongxing
Z
Liu
H Helen
HH
Tucker
Susan L
SL
Hu
Chao-Su
CS
Wei
Xiong
X
Wang
Xuanming
X
Wang
Shulian
S
Mohan
Radhe
R
Cox
James D
JD
Komaki
Ritsuko
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017564:Radiation Pneumonitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies