Iodine-125 brachytherapy improved overall survival of patients with inoperable stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer versus the conventional radiotherapy

This study compared the efficacy of iodine-125 seed brachytherapy versus the conventional radiotherapy in patients with non-resectable stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer. A total of 71 patients with inoperable advanced stages of lung cancer with tumor size ranging 5–10 cm were randomly assigned into two groups: Group A received the regional iodine-125 implantation (n = 35), and Group B received the conventional radiotherapy (n = 36). The isodose curves were obtained by the treatment planning system for patients in Group A. Postoperative tumor size, clinical symptoms, and quality of life were then assessed. The overall response rate (complete response + partial response) was 88 and 59 % in Group A and Group B, respectively. Moreover, patients receiving iodine-125 implantation had higher one- or two-year survival rates than those patients receiving radiation therapy (P < 0.05). For patients with a large tumor, iodine-125 implantation significantly ameliorated the clinical symptoms and improved quality of life compared with the conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Iodine-125 implantation treatment was more effective to control inoperable, large lung cancer and improved overall survival and quality of life compared with the conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy.