Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40709481›Full record

ArticleActa oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)2025

Real-world insights into moderately hypofractionated thoracic radiotherapy in elderly and multimorbid patients with stage II/III NSCLC: a retrospective study.

Helene Kravutske, Sina Mansoorian, Lukas Käsmann, Janina Lehmann, Cedric Richlitzki, Diego Kauffmann-Guerrero, Nina-Sophie Schmidt-Hegemann, Niels Reinmuth, Amanda Tufman, Julien Dinkel and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Comorbidity indices in observational studies on cancer risk.Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden) · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Helene KravutskeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Sina MansoorianDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Lukas KäsmannDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich; and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany.
Janina LehmannDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Cedric RichlitzkiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Diego Kauffmann-GuerreroComprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine V, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Nina-Sophie Schmidt-HegemannDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Niels ReinmuthDepartment of Oncology, Asklepios Lung Clinic Munich-Gauting, Gauting, Germany.
Amanda TufmanComprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine V, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Julien DinkelComprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany; Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Radiology, Asklepios Lung Clinic Munich-Gauting, Gauting, Germany.
Richard GausDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Munich, Germany.
Farkhad ManapovDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Claus BelkaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich; and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany.
Chukwuka EzeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany. Chukwuka.Eze@med.uni-muenchen.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeInvestigating real-world outcomes of moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (hypoRT) in elderly and multimorbid stage IIB-IIIC non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients ineligible for concurrent chemoradiation.

methodsWe retrospectively analysed 70 patients with primary or recurrent stage IIB-IIIC NSCLC (TNM, 8th edition). HypoRT was administered to a total dose of 38-56 Gy in 10-17 fractions (2.5-3.8 Gy/fraction). Patterns of recurrence, survival outcome, and toxicity were assessed.

resultsSeventy patients, with a median age of 76.4 years (range: 51.6-88.2 years), who received hypoRT between August 2015 and September 2022, were reviewed. At baseline, the median Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) with oncological diagnosis was 8 (range: 3-13). With a median follow-up post-radiotherapy of 63.9 months (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 34.8-93.1 months), median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.6 months (95% CI 6.0-11.0 months), and the median overall survival (OS) was 20.7 months (95% CI 16.7-30.7 months). Competing risk analysis revealed 12-month cumulative incidences of locoregional and distant failure in 41% (95% CI 30-53%) and 14% (95% CI 6-23%) of patients, respectively. Following disease progression, 45 patients received subsequent therapy: 25 underwent additional radiotherapy, 22 received systemic treatment (including immunotherapy), and 19 were referred for best supportive care. Treatment was well tolerated; only 3 patients (4%) developed grade 3 pneumonitis. No adverse events of grade > 3 were reported.

interpretationModerately hypoRT is a safe, feasible, and effective treatment option for elderly and multimorbid patients with stage IIB-IIIC NSCLC, offering encouraging survival outcomes and low toxicity rates. Future prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and optimise treatment strategies for this high-risk population.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungLung NeoplasmsRadiation Dose HypofractionationAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedMultimorbidityNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalNeoplasm StagingProgression-Free SurvivalRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID40709481
PMCPMC12308537

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.