title: Impact of the Radiation Dose and Completion of Palliative Radiotherapy on Survival in Patients Treated for Locally Advanced Lung Cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare three total radiation dose levels for their impact on survival in patients receiving palliative radiotherapy (RT) for locally advanced lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radiation dose (equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions=EQD2: 31-40 Gy vs. 41-46 Gy vs. 47-52 Gy), completion of RT as planned, plus nine factors were analyzed for survival in 125 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On multivariate analysis, EQD2 47-52 Gy (p=0.018), completion of planned RT (p=0.002), lower T-category (p=0.027) and lower N-category (p=0.008) were positively associated with survival. Thirty-six patients (29%) could not receive the complete planned RT dose, 19% in the 31-40 Gy group, 36% in the 41-46 Gy group and 31% in the 47-52 Gy group, respectively. Six-month survival rates of these patients were 0%, 18% and 18%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher RT doses resulted in significantly better survival than lower doses. The favorable results were impaired when the planned treatment could not be completed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany Medical Practice for Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaesmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schild
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany rades.dirk@gmx.net.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rades
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage
keywords: Advanced lung cancer; completion of treatment; palliative radiation therapy; radiation dose; survival