Impact of effective dose to immune cells (EDIC) on lymphocyte nadir and survival in limited-stage SCLC

Background Effective dose to immune cell (EDIC), an estimated radiation dose to the circulating lymphocytes, is of significance for overall survival (OS) in non-small cell lung cancer. This study aimed to validate the EDIC’s OS effect on limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). Method and materials This study included LS-SCLC patients received definitive chemo-radiation in one single center from 2012 to 2017. All patients had multiple complete-blood-count tests including lymphocyte count at pre-, during- and end- radiotherapy. EDIC, computed according to doses of the lung, heart, and the total body, was assessed for its correlation with lymphocyte nadir, OS and progression free survival (PFS). Results Of 503 eligible patients, the mean EDIC was 7.34 Gy. The mean lymphocyte nadir was 0.48 × 109 cells/L, significantly lower than 1.65 × 109 cells/L at pre-radiotherapy (p Conclusions This study demonstrated that EDIC is an independent predictor for lymphocyte nadir, PFS and OS. EDIC may serve as a predictor for lymphocyte nadir and a surrogate marker for OS in LS-SCLC. More attention should be paid to EDIC to decease the lymphocyte toxicity and improve survival.