Comparison between sublobar resection and 125Iodine brachytherapy after sublobar resection in high-risk patients with Stage I non–small-cell lung cancer

Abstract Background Sublobar resection (SR) can be performed in high-risk non–small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients but is associated with an increased local recurrence. This abstract reviews our intraoperative 125 Iodine brachytherapy experience after SR in high-risk Stage I NSCLC patients and compares these results with our previous series of SR alone in similar patients. Methods One hundred two Stage I NSCLC patients who underwent SR alone were compared with 101 Stage I patients who underwent SR and intraoperative 125 Iodine brachytherapy placed over the SR staple line. Conclusion Local recurrence after SR and 125 Iodine brachytherapy (2%) in high-risk Stage I NSCLC patients was significantly less than after SR alone (18.6%). This safe, pulmonary function–preserving and practical intraoperative brachytherapy method should be considered when SR is used as a “compromise” therapy in these patients.