Prophylactic cranial irradiation in small cell carcinoma of the lung. A randomized study

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Abstract
Patients (29) with small cell carcinoma of the lung without evidence of brain metastases were randomized into 2 treatment groups consisting of 14 patients who received prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCl) and 15 who received none (non-PCl). All patients were treated with irradiation of the primary lesion and concomitant chemotherapy. The response rate and median survival of the 2 groups were not significantly different: 93% and 7.2 mo. in the non-PCl; 86% and 9.8 mo. in the PCl; P .gtoreq. .05. Brain metastases occurred in 0/14 patients in the PCl and 4/15 in the non-PCl (P .ltoreq. .05) and were the cause of major neurologic disability in each. Although PCl did not improve response rate or survival, brain metastases with their attendant neurologic complications was effectively prevented.