title: Prophylactic cranial irradiation in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: outcome of recursive partitioning analysis group 1 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) has been demonstrated to reduce or delay the incidence of brain metastases (BM) in locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (LA-NSCLC) patients with various prognostic groups. With this current cohort we planned to evaluate the potential usefulness of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) specifically in recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) Group 1, which is the most favorable group of LA-NSCLC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 2007 and February 2008, 62 patients in RPA group 1 were treated with sequential chemoradiotherapy and PCI for stage IIIB NSCLC. The induction chemotherapy consisted of 3 courses of cisplatin (80 mg/m2) and docetaxel (80 mg/m2); each course was given every 21 days. Thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) was given at a dose of 60 Gy using 3-D conformal planning. All patients received a total dose of 30 Gy PCI (2 Gy/fr, 5 days a week), beginning on the first day of the TRT. Then, all patients received 3 further courses of the same chemotherapy protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six (9.7%) patients developed brain metastases during their clinical course. Only one (2%) patient developed brain metastasis as the site of first treatment failure. Median brain metastasis-free survival, overall survival, and progression free survival were 16.6, 16.7, and 13.0 months, respectively. By univariate analysis, rates of BM were significantly higher in patients younger than 60 years of age (p = 0.03). Multivariate analysis showed no significant difference in BM-free survival according to gender, age, histology, and initial T- and N-stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current finding of almost equal bone metastasis free survival and overall survival in patients with LA-NSCLC in RPA group 1 suggests a longer survival for patients who receive PCI, and thereby have a reduced risk of BM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Baskent University Medical Faculty, Adana Medical and Research Center, Kisla Saglik Yerleskesi, Adana, Turkey. ayavuz@baskent-adn.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ali Aydin
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Topkan
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Onal
authors.forename: Melek Nur
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Yavuz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000556:secondary*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000379:methods; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged