Radiothérapie du cancer bronchique non à petites cellules de stade III, inopérable, asymptomatique. Résultats définitifs dʹun essai prospectif randomisé (240 patients)

SummaryPurpose ort the results of a prospective randomized study concerning the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of stage III, unresectable, asymptomatic non-small cell lung cancer. al and methods n 1992 and 1996, 240 patients with stage III, unresectable, asymptomatic non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled in this study, and sequentially randomized to one of the three treatment arms: conventional irradiation, hypofractionated irradiation and control group. In the conventional irradiation arm (79 patients), a dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions in five weeks was delivered to the primary tumor and the mediastinum. In the hypofractionated irradiation arm (81 patients), there were two courses of irradiation separated by an interval of four weeks. In each series, patients received 20 Gy in five fractions in five days, in the same treatment volume as the conventional irradiation group. In the control group arm, 80 patients initially did not receive radiotherapy and were only observed. Delayed palliative hypofractionated irradiation (20–25 Gy in four to five fractions in four to five days) was given to the primary tumor when major symptoms developed. s o-year actuarial survival rates for patients in the conventional irradiation, hypofractionated irradiation and control group arms were 18%, 6% and 0%, with a median survival time of 12 months, nine months and six months respectively. The differences between survival rates were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. sion gh irradiation provides good palliation, the results are disappointing. The comparison of conventional and hypofractionated irradiation shows an advantage for conventional schedules.