Abstract

Between January 1990 and May 1995 47 consecutive lung cancer cases were trenaed with postoperative radiotherapy. The operation types were tumorectomy in 2(4.3%), segmentectomy in 2 (4.3%), lobectomy in 34 (72.3%), pneumonectomy in 9 (19.1%) of cases. Distribution of pathological stages were as follows; 3 patients (6.4%) stage II, 21 patients (44.7%) stage IIIA, 23 patients (48.9) stage IIIB. Postoperative radiotherapy indications were macroscopic residual disease for 17 cases (36.2%), microscopic residual disease for 15 cases (31.9%) and nodal involvement for 27 cases (57.4%). All cases received 50 Gy (2 Gy/day) from anterior-posterior fields, including primary tumor and mediastinum while 17 of them presenting residual macroscopic tumor additional 5x2Gy. Chemotherapy was given before radiotherapy in 5 patients (10.6%), and after radiotherapy in 13 patients (27.7%). Median follow up was 43 months (13-71 months). During this period local recurrence rate was 31.8%, regional recurrence rate was 23.4% and distant mestastasis rate was 38.3%. Median overall survival was 14 months (9% CI12-16 months). Overall survival rates for 1,3, and 5 years were 69.6% 17.1% and 10.2%, respectively. 5 years survival in stage IIIA and Illb cases with are 15.3% ad 6.4% respectively. These results suggest that the role of postoperative radiotherapy should be tested in larger and controlled prospective studies.