Outcomes of Image-Guided Moderately Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of hypofractionated radiotherapy (hypo-RT) for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the Chinese population. Methods. Eighty-six stage III NSCLC patients who received hypo-RT (60 Gy/20 fractions, BED = 78.00 Gy: 73 patients; 62.5 Gy/25 fractions, BED = 78.13 Gy: 13 patients) were recruited. Fifty-seven patients who received conventional radiotherapy (60 Gy/30 fractions, BED = 72.00 Gy) during the same period were enrolled as the control group. All hypo-RT treatments were conducted using image-guided technology. The efficacy and toxicity of the treatment were compared between the two groups. Results. The median duration of follow-up was 23.0 months (range: 4.0–82.0 months). Univariate and multivariate analyses of all 143 stage III NSCLC patients revealed that hypo-RT was an independent factor for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The median PFS and OS of hypo-RT were significantly higher than in the conventional RT group (PFS: 14.30, 11.00 months, p = 0.035 ; OS: 43.30, 31.50 months, p = 0.045 ). The incidence rates of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis and radiation esophagitis (≥grade 2) were 17.77% and 27.91%, respectively, in the hypo-RT group. Compared to the conventional radiation therapy group (22.81% and 19.30%, respectively), no significant differences were found between the two common side effects ( p = 0.662 and p = 0.241 , respectively). Conclusion. For Chinese stage III NSCLC patients, image-guided hypo-RT offers favorable prognosis, and the treatment toxicity was totally acceptable. This radiation modality deserves further prospective clinical trials.