Hypofractionated external beam radiotherapy as retreatment for symptomatic non-small-cell lung carcinoma: an effective treatment?

Purpose: To evaluate prospectively the efficacy, toxicity, and duration of the palliative effect of retreatment with external beam radiotherapy in symptomatic patients with recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer.

Methods And Materials: Twenty-eight symptomatic patients with local recurrence of non-small-cell lung cancer underwent repeated treatment after previous radiotherapy (equivalent dose, 46-60 Gy). Reirradiation consisted of two fractions of 8 Gy on Days 1 and 8 with two opposed beams using 6-18-MV photon beams at the site of pulmonary recurrence.