Radiation therapy for primary lung cancer with atelectasis

Between January 1979 and December 1984, 74 of 344 patients with primary lung cancer presenting radiographic findings of atelectasis were treated with radiation therapy. Radiographic improvement of atelectasis was noted in 45 patients. The response rates of atelectasis according to histologic type were 80 % in 15 small cell carcinoma patients 56 % in 45 epidermoid carcinoma patients and 57 % in 14 patients of other histologic types. There was no relationship between the response rate of atelectasis and the clinical stage. On the other hand, by bronchoscopic types, the response rate of atelectasis was higher in the tumorous type than in the infiltrative type. Patients who were treated with radiation therapy beginning over 2 months from the onset of atelectasis had a poor response rate. Split-course irradiation was effective against lung cancer with atelectasis, particularly epidermoid carcinoma. Reduction of fever caused by infection secondary to atelectasis was rarely obtained by antibiotic therapy. Fever subsided in 7 of 10 patients with atelectasis who responded to radiation therapy. There was no difference in the prognosis of primary lung cancer between patients with and without atelectasis. (author)