Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Sep;41(3):178-185.
doi: 10.3857/roj.2023.00626. Epub 2023 Sep 25.

Comparison between 1-week and 2-week palliative radiotherapy courses for superior vena cava syndrome

Jongmoo Park  1 , Jeong Eun Lee  1
Affiliations

Comparison between 1-week and 2-week palliative radiotherapy courses for superior vena cava syndrome

Jongmoo Park et al. Radiat Oncol J. 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of palliative radiation therapy (RT) for superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome from lung cancer and to compare the 2-week and 1-week schedules.

Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted on lung cancer patients with palliative RT for SVC syndrome. Patients received 30 Gy in 10 fractions (2-week group) or 20 Gy in 5 fractions (1-week group) between July 2012 and June 2022. Treatment outcomes were evaluated at 1 to 2 months after RT. The tumor response and recanalization were evaluated based on the computed tomography (CT).

Results: Of the 39 patients, 24 received a 2-week course RT and 15 received a 1-week course of RT. The most common SVC-associated symptoms were edema (51.3%) and dyspnea (43.6%). There were no significant differences in performance status, histology, and grade of SVC. Symptom relief in symptomatic patients was comparable (85.7% in the 2-week group vs. 91.6% in the 1-week group; p = 0.581). There were no significant differences between the 2-week and 1-week groups in recanalization rates (62.5% vs. 60.0%; p = 0.876), tumor responses (75% vs. 60.0%; p = 0.876), and 6-month overall survival rates (29.2% vs. 36.4%; p = 0.726). In each of the two groups, one patient was consulted for re-irradiation. The median survival were 3.7 months for the 2-week group and 4.4 months for the 1-week group.

Conclusion: In patients with SVC syndrome, the palliative effect of a 1-week course was equivalent to that of a 2-week course. Given the poor prognosis, a 1-week course may be an option.

Keywords: Lung cancer; Palliative; Radiotherapy; Superior vena cava.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival for 1-week course and 2-week course palliative radiation therapy for lung cancer with superior vena cava syndrome.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wilson LD, Detterbeck FC, Yahalom J. Clinical practice: superior vena cava syndrome with malignant causes. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:1862–9. - PubMed
    1. Rice TW, Rodriguez RM, Light RW. The superior vena cava syndrome: clinical characteristics and evolving etiology. Medicine (Baltimore) 2006;85:37–42. - PubMed
    1. Rowell NP, Gleeson FV. Steroids, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and stents for superior vena caval obstruction in carcinoma of the bronchus: a systematic review. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2002;14:338–51. - PubMed
    1. Lanciego C, Pangua C, Chacon JI, et al. Endovascular stenting as the first step in the overall management of malignant superior vena cava syndrome. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2009;193:549–58. - PubMed
    1. Fagedet D, Thony F, Timsit JF, et al. Endovascular treatment of malignant superior vena cava syndrome: results and predictive factors of clinical efficacy. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2013;36:140–9. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources