[Combination therapy of small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung and the role of prophylactic whole brain irradiation--report of 39 cases].

A series of 39 cases of small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung treated by combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is reported. The role of prophylactic whole brain irradiation in this combination is emphasized. Apart from 2 cases whose treatment was interrupted, the chief symptoms of the other 37 were significantly improved by irradiation. The response rate was over 86% and the median survival was 8 months. The 2-year survival rates of the patients with or without brain irradiation (group A and B) were 26.7% and 9.1% respectively. None of the group A patients (15 cases) developed brain metastasis while 4 (18%) of the group B patients (22 cases) did. The results prove the validity of the prophylactic whole brain irradiation. In this series, the mortality of liver metastasis amounted to 38%. The authors believe that prophylactic liver irradiation may reduce the metastases into the liver and prolong the survival.