Evaluation of the prognostic value of the ESTRO/EORTC classification of reirradiation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract

Retreatment with thoracic radiotherapy for recurrent, metastatic, or new primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is increasingly used, yet evidence remains limited. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of radical thoracic retreatment classified by the ESTRO/EORTC reirradiation definition. This retrospective single-center study included patients with NSCLC undergoing retreatment with a second course of radical thoracic radiotherapy (≥40 Gy EQD2) between 2015 and 2023. Retreatment was classified according to the ESTRO/EORTC consensus on reirradiation. Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression. A total of 150 patients were included: 72 (48 %) underwent type 1 reirradiation, 34 (22.7 %) type 2, and 44 (29.3 %) repeat organ irradiation. Patients had non-metastatic vs. metastatic disease in 67.3 % and 31.3 % at the first course, and 36 % vs. 42 % at retreatment, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was 26.3 and 5.3 months respectively, without significant differences between retreatment subgroups. Local control differed significantly by retreatment type (p = 0.043), with the longest freedom from local failure (FFLF) observed in repeat organ irradiation. Grade ≥ 3 toxicity occurred in 7.3 % of patients, most commonly pneumonitis (2.7 %), which was more frequent in repeat organ irradiation (9.1 %) than in type 1 reirradiation (0 %, p = 0.02). Radical thoracic retreatment in NSCLC is feasible with favorable outcomes and mostly manageable toxicity in selected patients. The ESTRO/EORTC classification captures meaningful differences in toxicity and local control between retreatment types.