Radiotherapy Twice A Day Halves Treatment Time

Radiotherapy (RT) once a day for six and a half weeks or twice a day for three weeks offer equal benefit in non-metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Manchester (United Kingdom), the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO; Barcelona, Spain), and other institutions conducted a study that recruited 550 patients diagnosed with SCLC from 74 centers in eight countries between 2008 and 2013. The patients were randomized to receive either concurrent twice-daily RT over three weeks or concurrent once-daily RT over 6.5 weeks, both starting on day 22 of cycle 1. Patients were followed up until death. The primary end point was overall survival.

The results showed that survival in both groups was similar, with 56% of patients who had RT twice a day surviving for two years, compared with 51% of those given it once a day. The majority of side effects from RT were similar in both groups, apart from neutropenia, which happened more often in twice daily treatment group. The trial also identified the optimum amount of RT as 66 grays once a day and 45 grays twice a day. The study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) cancer conference, held during June 2016 in Chicago (IL, USA).

“Before this study, it was unclear whether having radiotherapy once or twice a day helped more patients survive for longer, and what level of side effects was expected with modern radiotherapy techniques,” said lead author Professor Corinne Faivre-Finn, MD, PhD, of the University of Manchester. “We're pleased to provide answers to these questions, and our results have already begun to change practice around the world. Small cell lung cancer patients will be able to choose between a shorter course of radiotherapy given twice a day and a longer course given once a day.”

Primary lung cancers are malignant carcinomas that derive from epithelial cells, with the main types being SCLC and non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The most common symptoms are coughing (including coughing up blood), weight loss, shortness of breath, and chest pains.

Related Links:
University of Manchester
Catalan Institute of Oncology