A comparative study of different dose fractionations schedule of thoracic radiotherapy for pain palliation and health-related quality of life in metastatic NSCLC.
BACKGROUND
To investigate the effect of different hypo fractionated thoracic radiotherapy schedules in relation to thoracic pain relief, overall survival and post radiotherapy HRQOL in metastatic NSCLC.


METHODS
Stage IV NSCLC and had intra-thoracic symptoms, included in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to three treatments arms. (i) 17 Gy in 2 fractions in one week (ii) 20 Gy in five fractions in one week. (iii) 30 Gy in 10 fractions in two weeks. BPI module was used to assess pain score before and after the thoracic radiotherapy. Functional assessment of cancer therapy-G (FACT-G) used to investigate changes in HRQOL. Clinicians' assessment of symptom improvement were recorded at 2(nd), 6(th) and 12(th) weeks after completion of TRT.


RESULTS
Pain relief, HRQOL and OS were equivalent in all the three arms. The median OS were 6 months, 5 months, 6 months in arm A, B and arm C, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Protracted palliative thoracic radiotherapy renders no added advantage of relief of symptoms, HRQOL and overall survival compared to short course palliative TRT in metastatic NSCLC.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
Sourav
S
Sau
Department of Medicine, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Siliguri, West Bengal, India.
Saikat
S
Sau
Department of Radiation Oncology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
Premnath
P
Dutta
Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
Ganesh Chandra
GC
Gayen
Department of Radiation Oncology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
Sanatan
S
Banerjee
Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College and Hospitals, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Avijit
A
Basu
Health-related quality of life; non-small cell lung carcinoma; overall survival; pain relief; palliative thoracic radiotherapy