Efficacy comparison between microwave ablation combined with radiation therapy and radiation therapy alone for locally advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer

Abstract

Purpose: Comparing the efficacy and complications of microwave ablation (MA) combined with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and IMRT alone for locally advanced peripheral nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on 76 patients with locally advanced peripheral NSCLC undergoing chemotherapy and metastatic lymph node radiation therapy from June 2014 to June 2016. Either MA or IMRT was used to treat primary lesions. Thirty-four cases were treated with MA (MA group), 42 cases were treated with IMRT (IMRT group), and comparisons were made of the 1-3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and complications of the two groups. Results: The PFS of the MA group at 1, 2, and 3 years were 70.59% (24/34), 47.06% (16/34), and 35.29% (12/34), and the PFS of the IMRT group at the same intervals were 71.43% (30/42), 52.38% (22/42), and 35.71% (15/42), with no significant difference (?2= 0.006, P = 0.936) (?2= 0.213, P = 0.645) (?2= 0.001, P = 0.970). Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) occurred in 14.70% (5/34) of MA group patients, which was significantly lower than in the IMRT group 40.48% (17/42), but without grade II or above RILI. Conclusion: MA combined with IMRT in the treatment of locally advanced peripheral NSCLC was not inferior to the clinical effect of radiation therapy alone, and radiation lung injury incidence was also lower.