When bronchus carcinoma is detected in an advanced stage
treatment is supplemented with beam radiation of the lung. The following
study reveals that radiation does more harm than good and is not
advised.
Data source
Surveillance, Epidemiology,
and End Results (SEER) Program (www.seer.cancer.gov) SEER*Stat Database:
Incidence - SEER 9 Regs Public-Use, Nov 2004 Sub (1973-2002), National Cancer
Institute, DCCPS, Surveillance Research Program, Cancer Statistics Branch,
released April 2005, based on the November 2004 submission.
Patients who were not irradiated fare better then the irradiated
The next graph depicts the hazard difference
between the two groups: hazard[irradiated] – hazard[control]. It
proceeds through three phases:
A. Rising hazard rate difference, which is attributed
here to tumor ablation. Since radiation is more effective in destroying
the tumor than other treatments and since it assumed here that the
patient depends on his tumor, hazard difference rises.
B. Sequels of lung radiation, e.g. radiation pneumonitis
C. No radiation effect,