Cardiac Toxicity After Radiotherapy for Stage III Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Patients with stage III non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often receive radiation therapy as part of their definitive treatment, and efforts are undertaken to minimize esophageal and lung toxicity. However, radiation-induced cardiac injury has been associated with poorer overall survival in NSCLC patients (Ann Oncol 2010; 21:1825).

To determine the effect of cardiac radiation doses on subsequent cardiac events, investigators

analyzed six prospective, phase I and II trials of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation dose-escalation in 112 stage III NSCLC patients, all of whom received ≥70 Gy. Records were reviewed for the primary endpoint of symptomatic cardiac events, including pericardial effusion, acute coronary syndrome, pericarditis, signif…