Abstract:

Objective To compare the short-term therapeutic effects, long-term survival and adverse effects between whole brain radiotherapy with targeted therapy and concomitant chemo-radiotherapy in treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with brain metastasis. Methods The clinical data of 58 patients with NSCLC with brain metastasis were retrospectively analysed. Thirty-six patients received whole brain radiotherapy with targeted therapy (oral administration of gefitinib 250 mg or erlotinib 150 mg per day), and the other 22 patients received whole brain radiotherapy with concomitant chemotherapy (platinum-based regimen). Survival analysis was conducted in two groups with Kaplan Meier method and Logrank test, and the differences in therapeutic effects were explored between two groups. Results The disease control rate in whole brain radiotherapy with targeted therapy group was significantly higher than that in concomitant chemo-radiotherapy group (66.7% vs 36.4%, P<0.05). The 1-year survival rate in whole brain radiotherapy with targeted therapy group was 68%, and the median duration of survival was 23.2 months. The 1-year survival rate in concomitant chemo-radiotherapy group was 41%, and the median duration of survival was 7.1 months. The median duration of survival in whole brain radiotherapy with targeted therapy group was significantly longer than that in concomitant chemo-radiotherapy group (P<0.05). Conclusion Whole brain radiotherapy with targeted therapy is superior to concomitant chemoradiotherapy in disease control rate and duration of survival for treatment of NSCLC with brain metastasis.

Key words: neoplasm, non-small-cell lung cancer, brain metastasis, radiotherapy, treatment outcome