The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 20, 491-500, Copyright © 1975 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Interstitial irradiation for unresectable carcinoma of the lung
BS Hilaris, N Martini, M Batata and EJ Beattie Jr
From 1963 to 1971, 105 patients with histologically proved cancer of the
lung were explored at Memorial Hospital and underwent interstitial
implantation using encapsulated sources of radon 222 (53 patients) or
iodine 125 (52 patients). These lung cancers were considered unresectable
because of extension of the disease into the mediastinum with fixation or
invasion of the major vessels, trachea, and esophagus or chest wall
involvement. No apical lesions, which have a better prognosis, are included
in this review. Sixty-nine patients had epidermoid cancer, 24 had
adenocarcinoma, and the remaining 12 had various other histological types.
All patients were staged according to the criteria proposed by the American
Joint Committee using the TNM definitions (standing for tumor, nodes, and
metastasis). Local control was obtained in 8 of 10 patients (80% with
clinical Stage I and II unresectable cancers of the lung and in 44 of the
95 (46%) with clinical Stage III lung cancer. The two-year survival was 50%
for Stages I and II and 7% for Stage III. Five patients have survived for
five years or more. The complications, disease-free interval, local
recurrences, distant metastases, and survival are presented and indications
for this type of therapy outlined.
