Yu NY, Sio TT, Ernani V, Savvides P, Schild SE. Role of Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.
J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2021;
19:1465-1469. [PMID:
34902829 DOI:
10.6004/jnccn.2021.7105]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are at significant risk of developing brain metastases during their disease course. Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) has been incorporated into SCLC treatment guidelines to diminish the risk of developing brain metastases. In 2007, a randomized trial suggested that PCI decreases the incidence of brain metastases and prolongs overall survival (OS) in patients with extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC) who have responded to initial therapy. However, this study did not include modern central nervous system imaging with CT or MRI prior to randomization. A more recent Japanese trial with MRI staging and surveillance demonstrated that PCI diminished the incidence of brain metastases but did not improve survival. This review examines the largest clinical studies, controversies, and future directions of PCI in patients with ES-SCLC.
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