RESULTS.The median follow-up time was 3.5 years for the patients who were alive Hongzhe Li, Ph.D. 4 at the time of the analysis. The surgery alone versus surgery plus TRT groups were 1 Division of Radiation Oncology, well balanced with respect to gender, age, histology, tumor grade, number of Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, mediastinal lymph node stations dissected or involved, and involved N1 lymph Minnesota.node number. There were slightly more patients with right lower lobe lesions 2 Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Sur-(compared with other lobes), patients with multiple lobe involvement, and patients gery, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochwith only one N2 lymph node involved in the surgery alone group. After treatment ester, Minnesota.with surgery alone, the actuarial 4-year local recurrence rate was 60%, compared 3 Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic and with 17% for treatment with adjuvant TRT (P õ 0.0001). The actuarial 4-year Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota.survival rate was 22% for treatment with surgery alone, compared with 43% for 4 Section of Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic and Mayo treatment with adjuvant TRT (P Å 0.005). On multivariate analysis, the addition Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota.of TRT (P Å 0.0001), absence of superior mediastinal lymph node involvement (P Å 0.005), and fewer N1 lymph nodes involved (P Å 0.02) were independently associated with improved survival rate.CONCLUSIONS. This study, which to the authors' knowledge is the largest evaluating adjuvant TRT in N2 nonsmall cell lung carcinoma, suggests that adjuvant TRT may improve local control and survival.
