Key words: prophylactic cranial irradiation, non-small cell lung cancer

"Prophylactic cranial irradiation for stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with curative intent"

Approximately 30% of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop brain metastases (BM) over time. BM can lead to neurocognitive disorders, loss of quality of life and negatively influence the patients’ overall survival. Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is a radiation technique aiming to reduce the risk of BM. The aim of this thesis was to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of PCI in stage III NSCLC based on individual patient data from recent trials. Results showed that PCI did not improve the overall survival compared to no PCI. Survival without progression and BM was improved by PCI. The number of serious adverse events was relatively low and PCI did not impact quality of life. Next to that, PCI is a cost-effective addition to standard care for patients with stage III NSCLC and could, from that perspective, be considered for clinical practice.

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