Postoperative radiotherapy of bronchopulmonary cancers (excluding small cell cancer)

: Between 1976 and 1981, 160 patients with non oat-cell carcinoma of the lung underwent a post-operative irradiation. Most of these patients presented with advanced disease, 103 of them with lymphatic involvement. Adjuvant chemotherapy was performed in 48 cases and did not improve the survival rate. Crude survival is 26% at 5 years. No severe complication was related with irradiation. The rate of local relapse was reduced by the irradiation mainly if the dose was above 45 Gy. With doses between 46 and 60 Gy the 5 year survival rate was 33% (11/34) and the rate of local failure was 18%. It is possible that such an irradiation increases the survival rate. Post-operative irradiation seemed advisable after surgery when there is a risk of local residual disease.