title: Potential clinical predictors of outcome after postoperative radiotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this analysis was to investigate the impact of tumour-, treatment- and patient-related cofactors on local control and survival after postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with special focus on waiting and overall treatment times.
  
  
  METHODS
  For 100 NSCLC patients who had received postoperative radiotherapy, overall, relapse-free and metastases-free survival was retrospectively analysed using Kaplan-Meier methods. The impact of tumour-, treatment- and patient-related cofactors on treatment outcome was evaluated in uni- and multivariate Cox regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference between the survival curves of the groups with a short versus a long time interval between surgery and radiotherapy could be shown in uni- or multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant decrease in overall survival times for patients with prolonged overall radiotherapy treatment times exceeding 42 days (16 vs. 36 months) and for patients with radiation-induced pneumonitis (8 vs. 29 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiation-induced pneumonitis and prolonged radiation treatment times significantly reduced overall survival after adjuvant radiotherapy in NSCLC patients. The negative impact of a longer radiotherapy treatment time could be shown for the first time in an adjuvant setting. The hypothesis of a negative impact of longer waiting times prior to commencement of adjuvant radiotherapy could not be confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bütof
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirchner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Appold
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Löck
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rolle
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Höffken
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D017564:Radiation Pneumonitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult