Decrease of Morbidity and Cost of Care with Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: While several studies analyze the incidence of brain metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI), there is little data available on how this treatment can affect medical cost and morbidity. Our goal was to analyze those issues patients encounter secondary to brain metastases, often in the final months of their lives, and to support the hypothesis of economic benefit and cost effectiveness resulting from the use of PCI in this population. American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 52nd Annual Meeting October 31 - November 4, San Diego, CA