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. 2011;16(5):641-50.
doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2010-0343. Epub 2011 Apr 11.

Postoperative radiotherapy for resected pathological stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective study of 221 cases from a single institution

Honghai Dai  1 , Zhouguang Hui, Wei Ji, Jun Liang, Jima Lu, Guangfei Ou, Zongmei Zhou, Qinfu Feng, Zefen Xiao, Dongfu Chen, Hongxing Zhang, Weibo Yin, Jie He, Luhua Wang
Affiliations

Postoperative radiotherapy for resected pathological stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective study of 221 cases from a single institution

Honghai Dai et al. Oncologist. 2011.

Abstract

Background: For patients with resected pathological stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) is not well defined. In this single-institutional study, we re-evaluated the effect of PORT on overall survival (OS) as well as tumor control in this subgroup of patients.

Methods: In 2003-2005, 221 consecutive patients with resected pathological stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC at our institution were retrospectively analyzed in an institutional review board-approved study. The effect of PORT on OS, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and disease-free survival (DFS) was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests. The impact of PORT on locoregional control and distant metastasis was also analyzed. Results. Compared with the control, patients treated with PORT had a significantly longer OS time (χ2, 3.966; p = .046) and DFS interval (χ2, 6.891; p = .009), as well as a trend toward a longer CSS duration (χ2, 3.486; p = .062). Patients treated with PORT also had a significantly higher locoregional recurrence-free survival rate (χ2, 5.048; p = .025) as well as distant metastasis-free survival rate (χ2, 11.248; p = .001). Multivariate analyses showed that PORT was significantly associated with a longer OS duration (p = .000).

Conclusions: PORT can significantly improve the survival of patients with resected pathological stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC. A prospective randomized multicenter clinical trial is ongoing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures

Honghai Dai: None; Zhouguang Hui: None; Wei Ji: None; Jun Liang: None; Jima Lu: None; Guangfei Ou: None; Zongmei Zhou: None; Qinfu Feng: None; Zefen Xiao: None; Dongfu Chen: None; Hongxing Zhang: None; Weibo Yin: None; Jie He: None; Luhua Wang: None.

Section Editor Cesare Gridelli discloses a consulting relationship with, and honoraria received from, Roche, Merck Serono, and Eli Lilly.

Section Editor Lecia Sequist discloses a consulting relationship with GlaxoSmithKline, Telik, and Clovis Oncology.

Reviewer “A” discloses research funding from Merck.

Reviewer “B” discloses no financial relationships.

The content of this article has been reviewed by independent peer reviewers to ensure that it is balanced, objective, and free from commercial bias. On the basis of disclosed information, all conflicts of interest have been resolved.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Comparison of overall survival (A), cancer-specific survival (CSS) (B), and disease-free survival (DFS) (C) between the postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and non-PORT groups.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Overall survival according to treatment pattern: S + C + R = surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy; S + R= surgery followed by radiotherapy; S + C = surgery followed by chemotherapy; S = surgery alone.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Comparison of locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) between the postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and non-PORT groups.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Comparison of distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) between the postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and non-PORT groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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