Survival following radiotherapy for post-surgical locoregional recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer.

Long term survival [> 3 years] has been documented in patients treated with radiotherapy for bronchial stump recurrence following surgery for non-small cell lung cancer [NSCLC]. In this retrospective review of 45 patients with locoregional recurrence of NSCLC we measured survival following radiotherapy according to site of recurrence [bronchial stump or elsewhere] and treatment intent. Estimated median survival for all 45 patients from presentation was 10 months. Ten patients whose disease was confined to the bronchial stump had an estimated median survival of 15 months compared with 9 months for patients with recurrence elsewhere [P = 0.4]. Seventeen patients treated with radical intent [dose > 50 Gy] had an estimated median survival of 16 months, with an estimated 41% alive at two years. The overall survival of patients treated with radical intent is not dissimilar to that of a group of our patients treated similarly with primary radiotherapy for inoperable NSCLC. We conclude that a policy of high dose radiotherapy may be justified in selected patients with recurrent NSCLC.