Radiotherapy for carcinomatous brachial plexopathy. A clinical study of 23 cases.

Twenty-three patients with the clinical or pathologic diagnosis of carcinomatous brachial plexopathy received external irradiation. Significant pain relief was achieved in 77.2% (17/22) of the patients for a median duration of 3 months. The observed objective response rate was 46.1%. The total administered dose (range, 1000 rad/5 fractions-5800 rad/31 fractions) as well as the treatment field width size (range, 5-24 cm) varied. Analysis of these two technical radiotherapy factors indicated that the total amount of delivered dose rather than the therapy-port-width size was the more important factor in the achievement of optimal symptomatic palliation. A literature review summarizes results of external irradiation for this painful disease syndrome, including superior sulcus Pancoast tumor.