Short communication: adverse chronic effects of high-dose irradiation on proximal bronchus in patients treated for bronchogenic carcinoma.

Of five patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the lung who were treated with small fields of 80 Gy in 40 fractions/8-11 weeks (TDF123-129) to the hilar region, four patients developed marked stenosis of the proximal bronchi without tumour progression and died of pulmonary insufficiency 1-3 years after radiotherapy. These results should serve as a warning against escalation of the radiation dose, and the upper optimal dose might prove to be less than 80 Gy for the treatment of pulmonary hilar lesions.