Cardiopulmonary morbidity and quality of life in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with or without postoperative radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively assess the cardiopulmonary morbidity and quality of life in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in comparison to those not receiving PORT.


METHODS
From 2003 to 2007, 291 patients entered the study; 171 pN2 patients received 3D-planned PORT (PORT group), 120 pN1 patients (non-PORT group) did not. One month after surgery, all patients completed EORTC QLQ C-30 questionnaire and had pulmonary function tests (PFT); cardiopulmonary symptoms were assessed by modified LENT-SOM scale. Two years later, disease-free patients repeated the same examinations. The differences between baseline values and values recorded at two years in QLQ, LENT-SOM and the PFT of the two groups were compared.


RESULTS
In the whole cohort, the rate of non-cancer related deaths was 5.3% and 5.0% in PORT and non-PORT group, respectively. Ninety-five patients (47 - PORT group, 48 - non-PORT group) were included into the final analysis. The differences in the QLQ and cardiopulmonary function (LENT/SOM, PFT) between both groups were insignificant. The forced expiratory volume in one second was on average 12.2% and 1.3% better in the PORT and the non-PORT group, respectively, p=0.2.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the hypothesis about insignificant morbidity of 3D-planned PORT.
Department of Radiotherapy, The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland. lucynak@coi.pl
Lucyna
L
Kepka
Krzysztof
K
Bujko
Tadeusz M
TM
Orlowski
Robert
R
Jagiello
Andrzej
A
Salata
Miroslawa
M
Matecka-Nowak
Henryk
H
Janowski
Danuta
D
Rogowska
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted