Age has no impact on acute and late toxicity of curative thoracic radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Radiotherapy is a treatment method frequently employed in the management of thoracic tumours. Although the highest incidence of these tumours is found in elderly people, tolerance to radiotherapy is not well documented in older age groups. Many physicians are tempted to alter the radiotherapy planning in a population with a supposed lower life expectancy in order to prevent acute reactions whereas late reactions are often ignored.

The toxicity of radiotherapy following high-dose chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell support in high-risk breast cancer: a preliminary analysis.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow and/or peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) support is increasingly employed in the adjuvant treatment of high-risk breast cancer. Subsequent radiotherapy has been reported to be associated with morbidity and mortality resulting from pulmonary toxicity. In addition, the course of radiation therapy may be hampered by excess myelosuppression.

Feasibility of escalating daily doses of cisplatin in combination with accelerated radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

The aim of this study was to determine whether it is feasible to reduce the overall treatment time from 7 to 4 weeks in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving radiotherapy with cisplatin. This follows an EORTC phase III randomised trial (08844) in which cisplatin given before each radiation dose resulted in improved local control and survival, but which had a relatively long treatment period of 7 weeks [Schaake-Koning et al., N Engl J Med 1992, 326, 524-530].

Radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: optimal doses and schedules.

The doses and schedules for radiation therapy as applied in Stages IIIB and IIIA non-small cell lung cancer patients show a great variety. Depending on its intent, several purely palliative schemes can be used. When a curative intent scheme is considered, patients can be treated with a more experimental approach as several options are tested to increase selectively the radiation dose in the tumour areas.

Radiosensitization by cytotoxic drugs. The EORTC experience by the Radiotherapy and Lung Cancer Cooperative Groups.

Unlabelled: A three-arm randomized trial was performed to assess the acute and late toxicity and the impact on survival of the combination high-dose, split-course radiotherapy with 30 mg/m2 cisplatin (cDDP) weekly, with 6 mg/m2 cisplatin daily compared to radiotherapy alone in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study started in May 1984 and was closed in May 1989 after 331 patients were randomised. The analysis was performed after a minimum follow-up period of 22 months.