ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy combined with insterstitial (125)I seed implantation brachytherapy in unresectable staged IIIa/IIIb non-small cell lung cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy six patients with staged IIIa/IIIb non-small cell lung cancer were included in this study. Among them 37 cases were of the study group, treated with NP/GP scheme synchronization chemotherapy combined with (125)I seed implantation brachytherapy, while 39 cases in the control group were given NP/GP scheme chemotherapy. The cumulative survival time and median survival time of the two groups were compared by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The difference of mean survival time between the two groups was analyzed by log-rank method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The study group and the control group achieved a total response rate of 56.8% and 30.8%, local control rate of 78.4% and 56.4%, respectively, showing a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The 1-year survival rates of the study group and control group were 66.7% and 45.3%, and the median survival times 15.4 and 11.5 months, respectively, with a significant difference between the 2 groups (P < 0.05). The total chemotherapy toxicity rate of the two groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The (125)I seed implantation brachytherapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy shows a low complication rate, acceptable toxicity, and good therapeutic effectiveness, and is an effective and satisfactory therapeutic modality in the management of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.</p>