[Changes in performance status in patients with pulmonary carcinoma treated with mono-fractionation radiotherapy once a week].

Abstract

45 patients with lung cancer at the III and IV stage were treated with once-a-week radiation therapy. Treatments were carried out with a daily fraction, at beginning, of 880 rad (2100 ret) (14 pz.) and 550 rad (1500 ret) afterwards. In both cases the total dose was 4400 rad. All the patients had symptoms of locally advanced cancer: cough (46%), hemoptysis (31%), dyspnea (62%) and chest pain (28%). All of them were out-patients (ECOG 0-1) and presented a Performance Status by Karnofsky of 50-80. The average age was 60 (median 65, range 38-85) with a raised percent (50%) of collateral illness. The selection of once-a-week technique was determined by the bad prognosis and the necessity of symptoms' control, allowing the patients to stay in his proper social and family group. All the time of therapy and the follow-up the values of Performance Status were assigned scrupulously. The analysis showed that the 80% of the patients had a subjective improvement which lasted, on average, 4 months (range 1-21) with an increase of 20 points of Performance Status after the end of therapies. Concluding, the high percentage of success on symptoms presented by the patients, confirms the validity of weekly radiotherapy, which guarantees, besides the palliative effect, the psychological integrity which is necessary in the last period of the life of cancer patient.