Metastatic patterns in small-cell lung cancer: correlation of autopsy findings with clinical parameters in 537 patients.

Postmortem material from 537 patients included in various protocols of intensive combination chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for the management of small-cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung (SCLC) has been reviewed. Patterns of residual or recurrent disease were analyzed in relation to pretreatment clinical parameters. Residual primary tumor (P less than .05), regional lymph node involvement (P less than .01), hepatic (P less than .01), bone (P less than .05), and renal metastases (P less than .05) were all significantly less frequent among patients with initially limited-stage disease compared with extensively staged patients. The frequency of residual intrathoracic tumor and metastatic pattern did not significantly differ between partial responders (PRs) and nonresponders (NRs). Patients with limited disease achieving a complete remission had a lower frequency of intrathoracic tumor (P less than .001) at autopsy compared with limited-stage PRs. However, for extensive-stage patients the pattern of residual disease was essentially independent of tumor response. Prior surgery was associated with a reduced burden of metastases only in those who underwent a radical resection. The addition of radiotherapy to the primary tumor and mediastinum failed to modify the autopsy distribution of residual tumor compared with that in patients treated with chemotherapy alone. Metastatic patterns were similar with or without prophylactic abdominal radiotherapy, while prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCl) did not prevent the development of cerebral metastases in patients whose systemic response to treatment was either partial or nonexistent. However, a beneficial effect of PCl in compete responders (CRs) was not excluded.