Combined total body irradiation and local radiation therapy in oat cell carcinoma of the bronchus.

Use of total body irradiation (TBI) as a systematic therapy has been evaluated in controlling subclinical and established metastases in oat cell bronchus carcinoma. Preliminary results suggest that patients without clinical evidence of distant metastases do better than those with metastases. No patient in this series developed brain metastases. This could be related to TBI but may again be just a coincidence. The booster radiation dose (1000 rad) given to the liver seems to be inadequate in preventing metastases there, as all the deaths were due to liver metastases. In view of this, a higher dose to the liver is recommended.