Pattern of use of radiotherapy for lung cancer: a descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent forms of cancer. Radiotherapy, with or without other therapeutic modalities, is an effective treatment. Our objective was to report on the use of radiotherapy for lung cancer, its variability in our region, and to compare our results with the previous study done in 2004 (VARA-I) in our region and with other published data.

METHODS

We reviewed the clinical records and radiotherapy treatment sheets of all patients undergoing radiotherapy for lung cancer during 2007 in the 12 public hospitals in Andalusia, an autonomous region of Spain. Data were gathered on hospital, patient type and histological type, radiotherapy treatment characteristics, and tumor stage.

RESULTS

610 patients underwent initial radiotherapy. 37% of cases had stage III squamous cell lung cancer and were treated with radical therapy. 81% of patients with non-small and small cell lung cancer were treated with concomitant chemo-radiotherapy and the administered total dose was ≥60 Gy and ≥45 Gy respectively. The most common regimen for patients treated with palliative intent (44.6%) was 30 Gy. The total irradiation rate was 19.6% with significant differences among provinces (range, 8.5-25.6%; p<0.001). These differences were significantly correlated with the geographical distribution of radiation oncologists (r=0.78; p=0.02). Our results were similar to other published data and previous study VARA-I.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results shows no differences according to the other published data and data gathered in the study VARA-I. There is still wide variability in the application of radiotherapy for lung cancer in our setting that significantly correlates with the geographical distribution of radiation oncologists.

[Incidence of bronchopulmonary cancer in Castilla y Leon and Cantabria in the year 2007. A study by the Castilla y Leon and Cantabria Respiratory Diseases Society (SOCALPAR)]

INTRODUCTION

This study sets out to find out the incidence and other epidemiological characteristics of bronchopulmonary cancer in patients living in Cantabria and Castilla y Leon (Spain) and comparing the current data obtained in the last communities with that obtained 10 years ago in a similar study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Prospective, multicentre study using information (age, sex, residence, smoking habits and histology) obtained from all patients diagnosed during the year 2007.

RESULTS

A total of 1486 patients were included--1295 males (87.1%) and 191 females (12.9%)--, of whom 1145 lived in Castilla y Leon--1010 males (88.2%) and 135 females (11.8%)--, and 341 in Cantabria--285 males (83.6%) and 56 females (16.4%)--. The incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants adjusted to the world standard population were significantly higher in Cantabria [29.53; (males: 52.9; females: 9.76)] than in Castilla y Leon [21.35; (males: 38.31; females: 5.58)]. A total of 90.24% were smokers (males: 96.12% and women: 49.17%). The main histology types were: squamous, 32, 82%; adenocarcinoma, 28.74%, and small cell carcinomas, 18.33%. In Castilla y Leon, from 1997 to 2007, the numbers went from 920 to 1010 in males and from 95 to 135 in females (a crude rate increase of 10.5% in males and 43% in females), and showed a decrease in squamous tumours and an increase in adenocarcinomas.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence rates of bronchopulmonary cancer in 2007 were significantly higher in Cantabria than those of Castilla y Leon. The 2007 rates in this community were higher than in 1997 in both males and females.