Postoperative radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery (NCS) is a common therapy pattern of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, patients treated with NCS still suffer from relatively high locoregional recurrence. Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) plays an important role in improving locoregional control, whereas its effect on survival remains controversial. Some studies propose that PORT yields no survival benefits for stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ A(N 2) patients treated with NCS, whereas other researches indicate that PORT can bring survival benefits for high-risk patients. The indications of PORT include R 1/R 2 resection and ypN 2. PORT is recommended with three-dimensional conformal therapy (3D-CRT) or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) within the dose range of 50-54 Gy (R 0 resection). The target volume is inconclusive and the irradiation range of mediastinum involving with the metastatic lymph node regions is recommended in many studies. The adverse effects of PORT are acceptable in most studies.Nevertheless, the evidence level of relevant studies is relatively low. These results remain to be clarified by prospective randomized clinical trials.