Radiation Therapy for Superior Vena Cava Syndrome

Purpose: The studied the effect of such variables as the symptom improvement rate, survival and prognostic factors on the treatment results of radiation therapy for Superior Vena Cava Syndrome (SVCS). Materials and Methods: From 1988 to 2003, seventy two patients with SVCS were treated with radiation therapy at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. The patients' ages ranged from 10 to 83 years old with the median age being 61, and sixty four patients were male. For the causes of the SVCS, 64 patients had lung cancer, four had metastatic lung cancer, two had malignant lymphoma and two had thymoma. The radiotherapy was delivered with 6-MV X-rays and all patients received above 900 cGy up to 6,600 cGy, with the median dose being 4,000 cGy The follow-up periods were from 1 to 180 months with a median of 5.6 months. Results: The main clinical manifestations were dyspnea ($84.7\%$), facial edema ($81.9\%$), arm edema ($22.2\%$), neck vein distension ($25\%$), hoarseness ($12.5\%$) and facial plethora ($5.6\%$). Eighty percent of patients achieved excellent to good symptom improvement and $19.4\%$ experienced minimal improvement. The median survival period was 5.1 months, and overall survival rates were $17.7\%$ at 2 years (2YOS) and $14.8\%$ at five years (5YOS) for all the patients. The median survival period, the two and five year disease free survival rates were 4.3 months, $16.7\%$ and $13.4\%$ for the lung cancer patients, respectively. The total tumor dose was a statistically significant survival factor on the univariate analysis for the patients with lung cancer (2YSR; > 30 Gy, $25.6\%$, $\leq$ 30 Gy $6.7\%$, p<0.01). On the multivariated analysis, a higher total tumor dose (p<0.01) and younger age (p<0.05) were statistically significant factors of survival for the lung cancer patients. Patients with NSCLC showed better survival than did the patients with SCLC, but this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05), Conclusion: Radiation therapy for the patients with SVCS due to malignancy could be an effective treatment. We considered that radiation therapy above 30 Gy of the total tumor dose may improve survival for SVCS due to lung cancer.

상대정맥증후군의 방사선치료

목적: 악성종양에 의한 상대정맥증후군에서 방사선치료 후의 증상완화율, 생존율, 예후인자를 알아보기 위해 연구를 시행 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 1988년부터 2003년까지 계명의대 동산의료원 방사선종양학과에서 상대정맥증후군으로 방사선치료를 받고 추적관찰이 가능했던 72명의 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 남자가 64명, 여자가 8명이었으며 연령은 10세에서 83세로 평균 61세였고 원인으로는 폐암 64명, 전이성 폐암 4명, 림프종 2명, 흉선종 2명이었다. 방사선 치료는 모든 환자를 900 cGy 이상 조사하였으며 총방사선량이 6,600 cGy까지 조사하여 중앙값은 4,000 cGy였다. 추적기간은 1개월에서 180개월로 중앙값 5.6개월이었다. 결과: 주증상은 호흡곤란 $84.7\%$, 안면부종 $81.9\%$, 팔부종 $22.2\%$, 경정맥확장 $25\%$, 애성 $12.5\%$, 안면홍조 $5.6\%$순이었다. 방사선치료 후 $80.6\%$에서 매우 우수(excellent)또는 우수(good)한 증상완화를 보였고 $19.4\%$에서는 변화가 없거나 경미한(minimal) 증상완화가 있었다. 전체 환자의 중앙생존기간은 5.1개월이었고 2년 생존율은 $17.7\%$, 5년 생존율은 $14.8\%$이었다. 폐암환자에서는 각각 4.3개월, $16.7\%$, $13.4\%$였다. 단변량분석에서 폐암환자는 총방사선량을 30 Gy초과로 조사 받은 군이 그 미만의 방사선을 조사 받은 군보다 통계적으로 유의하게 생존율의 차이를 보였다(2YSR; 30 Gy 초과 $25.6\%$, 30 Gy 이하 $6.7\%$, p<0.01). 다변량분석에서도 폐암에 의한 상대정맥증후군의 예후인자로는 총방사선량(p<0.01)과 연령(p<0.05)이 통계적으로 유의한 인자였다. 비소세포성폐암이 소세포성폐암보다 생존율이 높았으나 통계적으로 유의하지 않았다. 결과: 악성종양에 의한 상대정맥증후군에서 방사선치료는 효과적인 치료방법이며 폐암으로 인한 상대정맥증후군에서 총방사선량을 30 Gy 이상 조사하는 적극적인 치료로 생존율이 연장될 수 있으리라 생각된다.