Long-term results of prophylactic cranial irradiation for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer in complete remission / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the effects of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) on the survival and brain metastatic rates in patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in complete remission. Methods Fifty one patients with limited stage SCLC in complete remission after chemoradiotherapy were randomly divided into prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) group (n=26) and control group (n=25). Patients in PCI group received irradiation to a dose of 25.2～30.6?Gy by 1.8～2.0?Gy per fraction. With the survival rates of the two groups analyzed by life table and compared by Log Rank test, the difference in cranial metastatic rates between the two groups were tested by ? 2 test. The patients' clinical features such as age, sex, effect of treatment before PCI were comparable between the two groups. Results The incidence of cranial metastasis was 3.8% in the PCI group as compared with 32.0% in the control group, with the difference significant (? 2=5.15, P= 0.02 ). The 1 , 3 , 5 year survival rates were 84.6%, 42.3%, 34.6% in the PCI group and 72.0%, 32.0%, 24.0% in the control group, with no significant difference between the two groups (? 2=2.25, P=0.13). No serious complications were observed in patients who received PCI. Conclusion For patients with limited stage SCLC complete response after chemoradiotherapy, PCI can decrease the incidence of cranial metastasis and tends to improve the survival rate.