title: Development of a score predicting survival after palliative reirradiation.
abstract: Purpose. To develop a prognostic model for predicting survival after palliative reirradiation (PR). Methods and Materials. We analyzed all 87 PR courses administered at a dedicated palliative radiotherapy facility between 20.06.2007 (opening) and 31.12.2009. Uni- and multivariate survival analyses were performed, the previously published survival prediction score (SPS) was evaluated, and a PR-specific prognostic score was calculated. Results. In multivariate analysis, four parameters significantly influenced survival: performance status, use of steroids, presence of liver metastases, and pleural effusion. Based on these parameters, a 4-tiered score was developed. Median survival was 24.5 months for the favorable group, 9.7 and 2.8 months for the two intermediate groups, and 1.1 months for the unfavorable group (P = 0.019 for comparison between the two favorable groups and P ≤ 0.002 for all other pair-wise comparisons). All patients in the unfavorable group died within 2 months. Conclusion. The performance of PR-specific score was promising and might facilitate identification of patients who survive long enough to benefit from PR. It should be validated in independent patient groups, ideally from several institutions and countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway ; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, 9019 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1592-2908
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nieder
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicolaus
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3647-5916
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andratschke
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Kent
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8283-6543
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Angelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Ellinor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haukland
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anca L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Grosu