Repeated iodine-125 seed implantations combined with external beam radiotherapy for the treatment of locally recurrent or metastatic stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective study.
BACKGROUND
Recurrent or metastatic lung cancer is difficult to manage. This retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy of repeated iodine-125 seed implantations combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for locally recurrent or metastatic stage-III/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
Eighteen previously treated stage-III/IV NSCLC patients with local or metastatic recurrences underwent 1-to-3 iodine-125 implantations. Six of these patients received palliative EBRT and six patients received combined chemotherapy using gemcitabine and cisplatin. Near-term treatment efficacy was evaluated 3 months after seed implantation by comparing changes in tumor size on computed tomography images; the evaluated outcomes were complete response, partial response, stable disease, and local tumor control rate. Long-term efficacy was assessed based on 1- and 2-year survival rates.


RESULTS
Patients were followed up for 6 to 50 months. The overall (i.e., complete + partial) response rate was 87.4 %. The local control rates after the first, second, and third years were 94.1, 58.8 and 41.2 %, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study demonstrated that repeated implantation of radioactive particles combined with EBRT is a safe treatment that effectively controlled local recurrence and metastasis of stage III/IV NSCLC.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, PLA Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, 610083, People's Republic of China.
Wei
W
Li
Department of Thoracic Surgery, PLA Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, 610083, People's Republic of China.
Gang
G
Dan
Department of Thoracic Surgery, PLA Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, 610083, People's Republic of China.
Jianqing
J
Jiang
Department of Thoracic Surgery, PLA Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, 610083, People's Republic of China.
Yifeng
Y
Zheng
Department of Thoracic Surgery, PLA Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, 610083, People's Republic of China.
Xiushan
X
Zheng
Department of Thoracic Surgery, PLA Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, 610083, People's Republic of China. 348418684@qq.com.
Dan
D
Deng
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine
Brachytherapy; External beam radiotherapy; I125 seed implantation; Metastasis; Non-small cell lung cancer; Recurrence