Results of radiotherapy and combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy of inoperable lung cancer.

In this study there is presented a comparative analysis of immediate results after radiotherapy and combined treatment (radio- and chemotherapy) in 174 patients with highly differentiated inoperable lung cancer. The data were provided by participants of a joint investigation in some CMEA member countries (Hungary, USSR, Czechoslovakia) during the period of 1976 to 1980. In the randomized study radiotherapy (a total dose of 60 Gy) was applied in 98 patients, radiotherapy with chemotherapy (methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil) was applied in 76 patients. The comparative analysis showed that the employment of complementary chemotherapy tend to improve the immediate therapeutic effects. In the case of highly differentiated planocellular carcinoma a pronounced positive effect was seen in 48.6% of patients as compared to the 31.2% of those treated with radiotherapy alone. Nevertheless, with respect to survival rate prolongation, these differences are not manifested in favor of the combined method of treatment. After a conservative treatment (radiotherapy and radiotherapy in combination with chemotherapy) of patients with differentiated types of inoperable lung cancer there was a one-year survival rate of 55.7%, 17.27% of the patients survived for 2 years, and 8.55% for 3 years. In radiotherapy applied alone as in the combined method as well, a direct dependence of survival rate prolongation on immediate therapeutical effects was detected. For more than 1 year survived 49 patients (73.1%) out of 67 exhibiting pronounced immediate effects, and for 3 years survived 8 patients out of 9.